This document defines and describes different types of deserts. It discusses hot deserts, cold deserts, coastal deserts, and semiarid deserts. It provides details on the climate, plants, and animals found in each type of desert environment. Pictures are also included to illustrate the different desert landscapes.

1. Deserts
Deserts
By: Luis, Chris, Danielle, and
Gianna
Period:3
By: Luis Ramirez

2. What is a Desert?
• A region that is dry, lacks precipitation and has little or
no plants or animals.
• Deserts cover about 1/5 of the Earth’s surface.
• Most deserts have specific types of plants and animals
that have adapted to the environment.
• The soils in deserts have a lot of nutrients because they
only need water.
• There are few large mammals in deserts because most
are not able to live in those conditions.

3. Types of Deserts
There are:
• Hot Deserts
• Cold Deserts
• Coastal Deserts
• Semiarid Deserts

4. Hot Deserts
• Seasons are warm throughout year and get very hot
during the summer.
• Average temps. Range from 20-25 C
• When it gets really hot it ranges from about 43-49 C
• Minimum temps. can drop as low as -18C
• Sometimes rain evaporates before touching the
ground.
• Average precip. per year is about 1.5 cm.
• The soil is shallow, rocky and has good drainage.

5. Cold Deserts
• Have long cold winters with snow and some rain and
sometimes in the summer.
• Average temperatures are from -2-4 C in the winter
• Average temperatures are from 21-26 C in the summer
• The soil is heavy, salty and has good drainage so that
most of the salt is leached out.
• Average precipitation is about 15-26 cm. per year

6. Coastal Deserts
• Have cool winters and long warm summers.
• Temperatures range from 13-24 C in the summer
• Temperatures drop as low as -5 C in the winter
• The soil is some what salty and has good drainage.
• Precipitation is about 8-13 cm. per year

7. Semiarid Desert
• The winters are cool and the summers are long and dry.
• Average temperatures range from 21-27 C
• Evening temperatures are around 10 C
• Cool nights help the plants and animal by lowering
moisture that is lost by sweating and breathing during
the day.
• Average precipitation is about 2-4 cm. per year
• The soil is sandy, has pebbles, gravel is low in salt and
has good drainage.

8. Global Locations Map
Places with deserts:
 North America
 South America
 Africa
 Asia
 Australia
Key:
Places with yellow are desert areas.

9. Climatograph

10. Plants & Animals of Hot Deserts
• Most plants only make gas exchanges at night when
less evaporation occurs.
• There are cacti, yuccas, ocotillo and others.
• Animals stay protected and hidden during the day when
it’s hot and come out at night to hunt when it’s much
more cooler.
• There are insects, spiders, reptiles and birds.

11. Plants & Animals of Cold Deserts
• Plants are mostly deciduous and have spiny leaves.
• There are sagebrushes, shrubs and aloe.
• Animals stay protected in underground tunnels to keep
in the warmth.
• There are rabbits, kangaroo mice, antelopes, squirrels,
deer, foxes and coyotes.

12. Plants & Animals of Coastal Deserts
• The plants have long roots that are close to the surface
where they can take advantage of the rainfall.
• All plants that have thick stems can take in a lot of
water when it is there so that they can store it for future
use.
• There are salt bushes, black bushes, buck wheat bushes
and little leaf horse brush.
• Some animals have adapted to the conditions to deal
with the desert heat and lack of water.
• There are coyotes, toads, owls, eagles, lizards and
snakes.

13. Plants & Animals of Semiarid Deserts
• The plants are spiny and have shiny or slippery leaves
so that they can reflect radiant energy.
• There are white thorns, brittle bushes, creosote bush
and bur sags.
• The animals protection in underground tunnels where
they are protected from heat.
• There are rabbits, skunks, lizards, snakes and owls.

14. Hot Desert Pictures

15. Cold Desert Pictures

16. Coastal Desert Pictures

17. Semiarid Desert Pictures

18.  “Deserts”. Deserted Land. O’Hanlon, Larry. Sep. 10, 2008.
Discovery Channel. Nov. 6, 2009.
http://dsc.discovery.com/convergence/planet-earth/guide/deserts.html
 “Deserts”. The World’s Biomes. UCMP Community. Sep. 4, 2008.
University of California Museum of Paleontology. Nov. 6, 2009.
http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/exhibits/biomes/deserts.php
 “Deserts”. Earth Floor. ETE team. April 28, 2005.
Classroom of the Future. Nov. 6, 2009.
http://www.cotf.edu/ete/modules/msese/earthsysflr/desert.html
 “Deserts”. The World’s Biomes. Schaffner, B. and Robinson, K. Nov. 7, 2006.
Blue Planet Biomes. Nov. 6, 2009.
http://www.blueplanetbiomes.org/desert.htm