Desert | Definition, Climate, Animals, Plants, & Types | Britannica
Oct 14, 2024 · Desert, any large, extremely dry area of land with sparse vegetation. It is one of Earth’s major types of ecosystems, supporting a community of plants and animals specially adapted to the harsh environment.
Desert Biome - National Geographic Society
Oct 19, 2023 · Deserts are extremely dry environments that are home to well-adapted plants and animals. The main types of deserts include hot and dry deserts, semi-arid deserts, coastal deserts, and cold deserts.
The Desert Biome: Facts, Characteristics, Types Of Desert, Life …
Sep 14, 2020 · What is the desert biome? The desert biome is the characteristic community of animals and plants found in the world's deserts. Deserts are found on every continent and make up around 30 percent of the earth’s surface.
Desert - Climate, Ecosystems, Adaptations | Britannica
Oct 14, 2024 · Deserts are varied and variable environments, and it is impossible to arrive at a concise definition that satisfies every case. However, their most fundamental characteristic is a shortage of available moisture for plants, resulting from an imbalance between precipitation and evapotranspiration.
Desert ecology - Wikipedia
Desert ecology is the study of interactions between both biotic and abiotic components of desert environments. A desert ecosystem is defined by interactions between organisms, the climate in which they live, and any other non-living influences on the habitat.
Deserts, facts and information - National Geographic
Deserts may seem lifeless, but in fact many species have evolved special ways to survive in the harsh environments. Learn what threatens this fascinating ecosystem and what you can do to help...
Desert: Mission: Biomes - NASA Earth Observatory
Some plants, such as cacti, store water in their stems and use it very slowly, while others like bushes conserve water by growing few leaves or by having large root systems to gather water. Some desert plant species have a short life cycle of a …
Deserts Explained - Education
Oct 19, 2023 · What Is a Desert? Deserts cover more than one-fifth of Earth's land area, and they are found on every continent. A place that receives less than 25 centimeters (10 inches) of rain per year is considered a desert. Deserts are part of a wider class of regions called drylands.
Desert - Adaptation, Ecosystems, Communities | Britannica
Oct 14, 2024 · Desert - Adaptation, Ecosystems, Communities: Desert plants and animals have many peculiar adaptations that enable them to survive long periods of moisture shortage and to take maximal advantage of short, infrequent wet periods.
Deserts 101 - Education
Oct 19, 2023 · Deserts are diverse ecosystems that occur on all seven continents. Learn about the four major types of deserts, the surprising amount of wildlife some of them contain, and how new desert areas are beginning to form.