Dry+(arid)

Topic : DRY (arid) CLIMATE Why are there different forests and deserts, and why are there different types of life in each area? The answer is climate. This is a picture about world climates, and we can see how different there are, each area has a different colors, it also represents different climates of each place.
 * __Name : Anh-Thi Le__**
 * INTRODUCTION: **


 * BACKGROUND: **

Climate is the characteristic condition of the atmosphere near the earth's surface at a certain place on earth. This includes the region's general pattern of weather conditions, seasons and weather extremes like hurricanes, droughts, or rainy periods, there are two the most important factors to determine an area's climate are air temperature and precipitation. With the climate of regions, we can determine which plants can grow up or which animals can survive. Thus, we can see how CLIMATE is important in our life.

// Today, i am going to explore more about the climate, special is dry climate...... // As you know, Desert is the hottest and the driest region. Desert takes up about 1/3 Earth's land surface. And the temperatures of desert are horrible, in the daytime: 45oC /113oF or higher in the summer, with 0oC / 32oF or lower in the winter. One point special in desert that during daytime desert really hot, but when the night comes it changes to really cold. Because the desert does not have much river or lakes, so the humidity is so low, addition they are rarely received water from rains. Moreover, because their humidity is so low, they can not form much cloud. So based on deserts do not have much clouds to block the sun, that is why the surface of desert received many hot temperature from the sun. Similar to the night, when the sun gone, the temperature of night is going down quickly be colder, so the temperature turned as cold as possible at night. Because of rarely plants can live, so it was reduce air movements, desert region typically are windy. Winds remove the moist air around the plants and soils also increase evapotrangspiration. Because of windy so soils are kind of erosion. And precipitation is the main transfer of moisture from water vapor of the air to the ground, complete this cycle is called evaporation. With desert, loss of water from the soil due to evaporation, as evaporation increase with strong winds, high temperturs, and low humidity. In the world, not much plants or animals can survive in there. Because of the tough climate, they must transpire (losses of moisture) to compensate for high tempertures. Such as some kind of fauna are the kangaroo rat, coyote, jack rabbit and many lizards. These animals can live in deserts are called XEROCOLES. About the plants only prickly pears, desert holly, and the Brittlebush. ** HOW CAN THEY SURVIVE? ** Desert animals have avoled to handle the desert's heat and lack of water. Because of hot weather, the animals bury themselves in the sand or hide beneath rocks to keep cool. Animals in the desert eat plants and each other to survive. Many feed on the roots, stems, leaves, and seeds of plants. These animals are then eaten by bigger animals. Some animals get enough water from their food, but others must travel to water holes. Camels are the most well known desert animals, sometimes called "the ship of the desert" because they can cross the desert better than any other animal. Camels have bushy eyebrows and two rows of eyelashes to keep the sand out of their eyes. It was a special point that anyone else can not have it. Their nostrils can also be closed and the humps on camels' backs do not hold water as commonly believed. Instead they store fat reserves that can be broken down into food when crossing the desert. The hump will shrink if a camel is starving. About plants: There are two of the main adaptations of plants in arid environments, that they are having an economical water management system, and maximizing the energy gain from the process of photosynthesis. Some plants, they called xerophytes (xero = dry; phytes = plants) have adapted their physical structure to suit the rigors such a harsh environment as the desert. These plants having smaller leaves grow compactly and close to the ground. Hair on the leaves of plants helps to reduce the evaporation of moisture from the surface of leaves by reflecting sunlight and inhibiting air movement. The process of photosynthesis requires both carbon dioxide and water to create energy for the plant

Sources : http://www.blueplanetbiomes. org/climate.htm http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ Desert http://www.blueplanetbiomes. org/sonoran_desert_climate.htm http://www.fao.org/docrep/ t0122e/t0122e03.htm