Desert Biome Facts

Approximately one-fifth or 20 percent of the total surface area of planet Earth is covered by deserts - and with vastness of such magnitude, it is virtually impossible for us to understand each and every aspect of this biome. Some of the well-known deserts which make up the desert biome are Sahara desert, Kalahari desert, Gobi desert, Atacama desert, Great basin desert etc. In geography, an area wherein the annual precipitation is less than 10 inches is defined as a 'desert'. This is one of the most important desert biome facts which has to be taken into consideration when you try to find out any information about desert biome, animals and plants.

Desert Biome Information

Other than precipitation, even evaporation has a crucial role to play in determining whether an area qualifies as a desert or not. Basically, there do exist some areas wherein the annual rainfall exceeds 10 inches, but large-scale evaporation that these areas are subjected to make them very dry and thus they are considered to be a part of the desert biome. One of the best example of this is Tucson, Arizona, wherein the annual rainfall is around 12 inches and evaporation is around 100 inches i.e. more evaporation than precipitation. Considering that the climatic conditions of a region play an important role in determining the species of plants and animals which are likely to inhabit that region, it becomes important to go through desert biome climate before moving on to see which plants and animals are found in this biome.

Desert Biome Climate
Many people are left confused when they see the continent of Antarctica top the list of deserts of the world in terms of area. That however, isn't at all surprising considering that it's a normal tendency of people to picture a desert as some hot, dry place with lots of sand and no trees whatsoever. When you talk about desert facts, the first thing that you need to take into consideration is that there are hot deserts as well as cold deserts. In hot deserts, the daily temperatures can reach around 113 °F during the day and fall to 32 °F at night. In cold deserts, on the other hand, the daily temperatures fluctuate between -130 °F and 59 °F. Even though hot deserts are also characterized by absolutely low temperatures at night, the fact that there is no snow in these deserts differentiates them from cold deserts which are found in polar areas and at high altitudes. Precipitation, as we mentioned, earlier is virtually non-existent and all these factors combined result in harsh conditions wherein human habitation is very difficult.

Desert Biome Plants
Even though the desert plant life is dominated by cacti species, it would be wrong to say that the plants found in deserts are restricted to this species alone. Other than the various cacti species, including the Barrel cactus, Saguaro cactus, Old Man cactus, etc., the desert plants list also includes species such as the Brittle bush, Creosote bush, Desert ironwood, Joshua tree, Mojave aster, Ocotillo, Soaptree yucca, Triangle-leaf bursage etc. A closer look at these plants in the desert, and you realize that all of them sport this amazing water retention ability - which is one of the most crucial adaptation in desert plants which helps them survive the harsh conditions prevailing in this biome. More importantly, these plants form an important component of the desert ecosystem as several desert animals are directly dependent on them for their energy requirements.

Desert Biome Animals
As in case of the plant species mentioned above, even the animals found in deserts sport superb adaptation skills which help them survive the harsh conditions of desert biome. Some of the most common adaptations in desert animals include water storing in fatty tissues, pale colored skin which absorbs less heat, long body parts which help in heat dissipation etc. Some of the most common animals that you are likely to come across in the desert animals list includes species such as camels, dingoes, Arabian horses, jack rabbits, vultures, desert iguana, gerbils, hyena, porcupine, rattle snake, coyote, jackals, sidewinder, scorpions, bighorn sheep, jerboa, oryx, kangaroo, gila monster, bobcat, desert tortoise, as well as numerous species of bats, beetles, lizards, etc. While adaptations like nocturnal behavior and burrowing to avoid the harsh Sun can be called common animal adaptations in this biome, more specialized adaptations are demonstrated by animal species such as the sidewinder (minimal contact with ground when moving over hot sand) and jack rabbits (use of its long ears to dissipate more heat.)

These interesting desert biome facts must have enlightened you about one of the most fascinating biomes of the world - the desert biome. Even though the desert biome is not what one would call the richest biome in terms of species, it is surely one of the most amazing biome - because no other biome demonstrates such amazing adaptations in plants and animals as this biome does. Though extreme, this biome is surely one of the most useful biome for those who intend to study the biodiversity of the planet.