Characteristics Of A Dessert Flashcards
Extreme conditions
High or low temps, water supply, air supply, solar radiation
Why does an extreme environment exhibit?
Extreme conditions which are challenging to most life forms. Life that exists here is well adapted to capote with these harsh conditions
Desert
An area of very low precipitation
250mm per year
Arid
A severe lack of available water, to the effect of hindering/preventing the growth and development of plant and animal life
Semi arid
Describes climate regions that receive precipitation below potential evapotranspiration, but not extremely
Precipitation
Deposition of moisture from the atmosphere e.g. Snow rain
Potential evapotranspiration
Greatest amount of water vapour which could be diffused into the atmosphere given unlimited supplies of water
Actual evapotranspiration
Real amount of water vapour which could be diffused into the atmosphere
Deserts
Areas of the weld where there is a deficit of moisture, normally cause rainfall levels are low.
Deserts are deficient in
Water
Soils
Vegetation
People
Where are deserts in the world
Centre/west coast of continents between 15 and 30 degrees Northampton and South of the equator
Why do deserts located where they do
- tricellular model
- the rain shadow effect
The rain shadow effect
A rain shadow is a dry area on the lee back side of a mountainous area. The mountains block the passage of rain-producing weather systems casting a ‘shadow’ of dryness behind them
Topsoil
Biological activity and humus content is at its maximum. Leaching may occur
Leaching
When nutrients are washes out of the soil
