Hot Deserts

Question 1

How is a camel adapted for living in a desert?

Answer 1

• Hump which stores fat
• Thick fur
• Wide feet so they don’t sink in the sand
• Long eyelashes
• Hairy eyes
• Closing nostrils

Question 2

Describe the distribution of hot deserts

Answer 2

• Most are located near the tropics
• The Sahara is located near the tropic of cancer
• However, some deserts are located in rain shadow areas or further away from the tropics such as the Atacama desert

Question 3

What are deserts like in the day and night?

Answer 3

• In the day deserts are very hot
• In the night deserts are cold

Question 4

What do plants and animals have to do to survive in the desert?

Answer 4

• Adapt to life there

Question 5

How is a saguaro cactus adapted for life in the desert?

Answer 5

• Thin waxy skin to reduce water loss
• Thorns to prevent herbivores from eating them
• Shallow roots to absorb water as fast as possible when it rains

Question 6

How much water did Southern Nevada Water save?

Answer 6

• 119 billion gallons of water

Question 7

How many visitors go to the western desert each year?

Answer 7

• 37 million

Question 8

What are the causes of desertification?

Answer 8

• Deforestation
• Land being farmed to intensively
• Animals grazed at to higher numbers

Question 9

How do we prevent desertification

Answer 9

• Bunds: Lets water flow slower meaning it has more chance of infiltration
• Educating children about desertification
• Great Green Wall (Sahra Desert)

Question 10

Where does desertification tend to take place?

Answer 10

• 90% of inhabitants of drylands live in developing countries
• There is poor economic growth, therefore, they make use of farmland and resources of vegetation
• Desertification is therefore increasing due to poverty