Deserts alone cover about seventh of the land surface.
We normally call deserts as “sand seas or oceans of sands”. Most of the major desert areas like as the Sahara, the Arabian, the Kalahari, and the Deserts of Australia all lie between 10 and 30 degrees north or south of the equator. Deserts are dry ecosystems comprising a substantial part of the globe. Deserts are to be fully understood in earth science studies. This report is about the Deserts as unique landforms.
Deserts are landforms of sand and sediments. They are the cradles of centrifugal eolian forces. Among all the terrestrial ecosystems, deserts are typical landforms due to their unique ecological conditions.
Desert and near-desert areas cover nearly one-third of the land surface of the globe . Deserts alone covers about one-seventh of the land surface.
desert ecosystem
Deserts and semi arid lands are extremely specialised and sensitive ecosystems that are easily destroyed by human activities. The plants and animals that inhabit these dry areas can live only in this ecosystem.
Desert ecosystem, is usually believed to be barren, but this fragile ecosystem supports numerous amazing living creatures, known for their adaptability.
Deserts alone covers about seventh of the land surface. We normally call deserts as “sand seas or oceans of sands”. Most of the major desert areas like as the Sahara, the Arabian, the Kalahari, and the Deserts of Australia all lie between 10 and 30 degrees north or south of the equator. Deserts are dry ecosystems comprising a substantial part of the globe
While studying the physical features and geomorphology of landforms, a very unique nature of landmass comes into our mind. It is very unique in various aspects. That is the dry landmass called as the Desert.
Earth has numerous land areas covered by deserts. Among all the terrestrial ecosystems, deserts are very typical landforms due to their unique ecological conditions.
Deserts are landforms of sand and sediments. They are the cradles of centrifugal eolian forces. Among all the terrestrial ecosystems, deserts are typical landforms due to their unique ecological conditions.
Desert and near-desert areas cover nearly one-third of the land surface of the globe . Deserts alone covers about one-seventh of the land surface.
desert ecosystem
Deserts and semi arid lands are extremely specialised and sensitive ecosystems that are easily destroyed by human activities. The plants and animals that inhabit these dry areas can live only in this ecosystem.
Desert ecosystem, is usually believed to be barren, but this fragile ecosystem supports numerous amazing living creatures, known for their adaptability.
Deserts alone covers about seventh of the land surface. We normally call deserts as “sand seas or oceans of sands”. Most of the major desert areas like as the Sahara, the Arabian, the Kalahari, and the Deserts of Australia all lie between 10 and 30 degrees north or south of the equator. Deserts are dry ecosystems comprising a substantial part of the globe
While studying the physical features and geomorphology of landforms, a very unique nature of landmass comes into our mind. It is very unique in various aspects. That is the dry landmass called as the Desert.
Earth has numerous land areas covered by deserts. Among all the terrestrial ecosystems, deserts are very typical landforms due to their unique ecological conditions.
Points on biomes,habitat,ecotone and their differentations.
also on terrestrial ,wetland,fresh water,marine habitat and their types .Explained much with pictures..so easy to remember and to take class .Hope this may help....
Temperate forests and tropical rain forestsAlen Shaji
The word forest is derived from Latin ‘Foris’ meaning outside, the reference being to village boundary fence, and must have included all uncultivated and uninhabitated land.
Today a forest is any land managed for the diverse purposes of forestry whether covered with trees, shrubs, climbers, etc.
The forest biomes include a complex assemblage of different kinds of biotic communities.
Optimum conditions of temperature and ground moisture responsible for the growth of trees contribute greatly to the establishment of forest communities.
In addition, 50 mm rainfall is a pre-requisite for the trees.
The nature of soil, wind and air currents determines the distribution (abundance or sparseness) of forest vegetation.
The temperate forest biomes are characterized by a moderate climate and broad-leaved deciduous trees, which shed their
leaves in fall, are bare over winter and grow new foliage in the spring.
In this presentation, climatic factors like light, temperature and water are explained. Along with this their importance and their effect on plant life is also explained
Points on biomes,habitat,ecotone and their differentations.
also on terrestrial ,wetland,fresh water,marine habitat and their types .Explained much with pictures..so easy to remember and to take class .Hope this may help....
Temperate forests and tropical rain forestsAlen Shaji
The word forest is derived from Latin ‘Foris’ meaning outside, the reference being to village boundary fence, and must have included all uncultivated and uninhabitated land.
Today a forest is any land managed for the diverse purposes of forestry whether covered with trees, shrubs, climbers, etc.
The forest biomes include a complex assemblage of different kinds of biotic communities.
Optimum conditions of temperature and ground moisture responsible for the growth of trees contribute greatly to the establishment of forest communities.
In addition, 50 mm rainfall is a pre-requisite for the trees.
The nature of soil, wind and air currents determines the distribution (abundance or sparseness) of forest vegetation.
The temperate forest biomes are characterized by a moderate climate and broad-leaved deciduous trees, which shed their
leaves in fall, are bare over winter and grow new foliage in the spring.
In this presentation, climatic factors like light, temperature and water are explained. Along with this their importance and their effect on plant life is also explained
What is a desert? What is its importance and how it is formed? What are the animals and plants that can live in a desert easily? That's all is present in this PowerPoint Presentation
E-content is a Comprehensive package of teaching material put into hypermedia format. Hypermedia is multimedia with internet deplorability. E-content can not be created by a teaching faculty alone . It needs the role of teacher, Video editor, production assistants, web developers (HTML 5 or Adobe captivate, etc). Analyze the learner needs and goals of the instructional material development, development of a delivery system and content, pilot study of the material developed, implementation, evaluating, refining the materials etc. In designing and development of E-content we have to adopt one of the instructional design models based on our requirements.
Pedagogy is the most commonly understood approach to teaching. It refers to the theory and practice of learning. Pedagogy is often described as the act of teaching. Pedagogy has little variations between traditional teaching and online teaching. Online teaching pedagogy is a method of effective teaching practice specifically developed for teaching via the internet. It has a set of prescribed methods, strategies, and practices for teaching academic subjects in an online (or blended) environment, where students are in a physical location separate from the faculty member.
Technology has changed the possibilities within teaching and learning. Classes, which prior to the digital era were restricted to lectures, talks, and physical objects, no longer have to be designed in that manner. Training in a synchronous virtual classroom can only be successful with the active participation and engagement of the learners. Explore the Virtual Classroom’s features and see how they can support and enhance your tutoring style.
• The monitoring and evaluation of the institutional processes require a carefully structured system of internal and external review. The NAAC expects the Institutions to undertake continuous Academic and Administrative Audits (AAA). This presentation is intended to serve as advisory to all accredited HEIs who volunteer to undertake AAA. The pros and cons of this process are also highlighted. Academic and Administrative Audit is the process of evaluating the efficiency and effectiveness of the administrative procedure. It includes assessment of policies, strategies & functions of the various administrative departments, control of the overall administrative system, etc. This checklist gives an overview what the audit committee members may look into while visiting an institution for this purpose. It invariably follows the Quality Indicators Framework prescribed by Accreditation Council in India.
• The monitoring and evaluation of the institutional processes require a carefully structured system of internal and external review. The NAAC expects the Institutions to undertake continuous Academic and Administrative Audits (AAA). This presentation is intended to serve as advisory to all accredited HEIs who volunteer to undertake AAA.
Chemical analysis data of water samples can not be used directly for understanding. They are to be used for various calculations in order to determine the quality parameters that have a lot of significances. A. Balasubramanian and D. Nagaraju, of the Department of Studies in Earth Science, Centre for Advanced Studies, University of Mysore, Mysore-570006, Karnataka, India have recently brought out a software and its application manual as a good book for reference and execution. The Name of the software is WATCHIT meaning Water Chemistry Interpretation Techniques. This software computes more than 100 parameters pertaining to water quality interpretations. The software follows its own method of approach to determine the required results. Systems International Units are used. Limited input parameters are required. This is suitable for all scientific research, government water quality data interpretations and for understanding the quality of water before using it.
Water conservation refers to reducing the usage of water and recycling of waste water for different purposes like domestic usage, industries, agriculture etc. This technical article highlights most of the popular methods of water conservation. A special note on rainwater harvesting is also provided.
This module gives an overview of general applications of current hydrogeological aspects. It is for the basic understanding of students and research scholars.
Climate Extreme (extreme weather or climate event) refers to the occurrence of a value of a weather or climate variable above (or below) a threshold value near the upper (or lower) ends of the range of observed values of the variable. Extreme weather and climate events, interacting with exposed and vulnerable human and natural systems, can lead to disasters.
WATER RESOURCES PLANNING AND MANAGEMENT POSSIBILITIES IN CHAMARAJANAGAR TALUK...Prof. A.Balasubramanian
Any unplanned development and utilization of water resources with result in water scarcity. In many parts of the developing world. Such a situation exists. In order to do proper planning and
management of water resources, it is necessary to conduct detailed analyses of the factors, which influence the water availability and its uses. In the present study, a comprehensive analysis have been undertaken for proper utilization of water resources in Chamarajanagar Taluk, which has been identified as one of the drought hit districts of Karnataka, in India. The factors analysed in this work are, surface and groundwater availability, land use, cropping pattern, recharge potential of soils and the rainfall pattern in typical areas of Taluk. It is observed that the problem of water scarcity is mainly due to the lack of irrigation planning and management. Hence, a
modified cropping pattern is suggested by taking into consideration of all available water resources and other conditions.
In broad terms, cultural geography examines the cultural values, practices, discursive and material expressions and artefacts of people, the cultural diversity and plurality of society.
It also emphasizes on how cultures are distributed over space, how places and identities are produced, how people make sense of places and build senses of place, and how people produce and communicate knowledge and meaning.
Minerals are formed by changes in chemical energy in systems which contain one fluid or vapor phase. In nature, minerals are formed by crystallisation or precipitation from concentrated solutions. These solutions are called as ore-bearing fluids. Ore-bearing fluids are characterised by high concentration of certain metallic or other elements.
Fluids are the most effective agents for the transport of material in the mantle and the Earth's crust.
Soils are complex mixers forming the skin of the earth's surface. Soil is a dynamic layer in which many complex chemical, physical and biological activities are going on constantly. Soils become adjusted to conditions of climate, landform and vegetation, and will change internally when those controlling conditions change. Soils are products of weathering. Soils play a dominant role in earth's geomorphic processes in a cyclic manner. The characteristics of soils are very essential for several reasons. This module highlights these characteristics.
GIS TECHNIQUES IN WATER RESOURCES PLANNING AND MANAGEMENT IN CHAMARAJANAGAR ...Prof. A.Balasubramanian
The over-exploitation and contamination of groundwater continue to threaten the long-term sustainability of our precious water resources, in spite of the best efforts made by various agencies.
This has many serious implications to the economic development of a country like India. Lack of
judicious planning and integration of environmental consideration to ground water development
projects are primarily responsible for such a state of affair in the ground water sector. Geographical Information Systems could be of immense help in planning sustainable ground water management strategies, especially in hard rock areas with limited ground water potential. Data collected from
Satellite Imagery and through field investigations have been integrated, on a GIS platform, for demarcation and prioritization of areas suitable for ground water development and ground water augmentation. An attempt has also been made to assess the vulnerability of the area to ground water
contamination. This paper demonstrates the utility of GIS in planning judicious management of ground water resources in a typical hard rock area of Chamarajanagar Taluk, Karnataka, state India.
Nanobiomaterials are very effective components for several biomedical and pharmaceutical studies. Among the metallic, organic, ceramic and polymeric nanomaterials, metallic nanomaterials have shown certain prominent biomedical applications. Enormous works have been done to synthesize, analyse and administer the metallic nanoparticles for various kinds of medical and therapeutic applications, during the last forty years. In these analyses, the prominent biomedical applications of ten metallic nanobiomaterials have been reviewed from various sources and works. It has been found that almost nine of them are used in a very wide spectrum of medical and theranostic applications.
A variety of Nano-biomaterials are synthesised, characterised and tested to find out their potentialities by global scientific communities, during the last three decades. Among those, nanostructured ceramics, cements and coatings are being considered for major use in orthopaedic, dental and other medical applications. The development of novel biocompatible ceramic materials with improved biomedical functions is at the forefront of health-related applications, all over the world. Understanding of the potential biomedical applications of ceramic nanomaterials will provide a major insight into the future developments. This study reviews and enlists the prominent potential biomedical applications of ceramic nanomaterials, like Calcium Phosphate (CaP), Tri-Calcium Phosphate (TCP), Hydroxy-Apatite(HAP), TCP+HAP, Si substituted HAP, Calcium Sulphate and Carbonate, Bioactive Glasses, Bioactive Glass Ceramics, Titania-Based Ceramics, Zirconia Ceramics, Alumina Ceramcis and Ceramic Polymer Composites.
The present forest and tree cover of the country is 78.37 million ha in 2007 which is 23.84% of the geographical areas and it includes 2.82% tree cover. This becomes 25.25%, if the areas above tree line i.e., 4000m are excluded from the total geographical area. The forest cover is classified into 3 canopy density classes.
1. Very Dense Forest (VDF) with canopy density more than 70%
2. Moderately Dense Forest (MDF) with Canopy density between 40-70% and
3. Open Forest (OF) with Canopy density between 10-40%
Artificial Reefs by Kuddle Life Foundation - May 2024punit537210
Situated in Pondicherry, India, Kuddle Life Foundation is a charitable, non-profit and non-governmental organization (NGO) dedicated to improving the living standards of coastal communities and simultaneously placing a strong emphasis on the protection of marine ecosystems.
One of the key areas we work in is Artificial Reefs. This presentation captures our journey so far and our learnings. We hope you get as excited about marine conservation and artificial reefs as we are.
Please visit our website: https://kuddlelife.org
Our Instagram channel:
@kuddlelifefoundation
Our Linkedin Page:
https://www.linkedin.com/company/kuddlelifefoundation/
and write to us if you have any questions:
info@kuddlelife.org
Willie Nelson Net Worth: A Journey Through Music, Movies, and Business Venturesgreendigital
Willie Nelson is a name that resonates within the world of music and entertainment. Known for his unique voice, and masterful guitar skills. and an extraordinary career spanning several decades. Nelson has become a legend in the country music scene. But, his influence extends far beyond the realm of music. with ventures in acting, writing, activism, and business. This comprehensive article delves into Willie Nelson net worth. exploring the various facets of his career that have contributed to his large fortune.
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Introduction
Willie Nelson net worth is a testament to his enduring influence and success in many fields. Born on April 29, 1933, in Abbott, Texas. Nelson's journey from a humble beginning to becoming one of the most iconic figures in American music is nothing short of inspirational. His net worth, which estimated to be around $25 million as of 2024. reflects a career that is as diverse as it is prolific.
Early Life and Musical Beginnings
Humble Origins
Willie Hugh Nelson was born during the Great Depression. a time of significant economic hardship in the United States. Raised by his grandparents. Nelson found solace and inspiration in music from an early age. His grandmother taught him to play the guitar. setting the stage for what would become an illustrious career.
First Steps in Music
Nelson's initial foray into the music industry was fraught with challenges. He moved to Nashville, Tennessee, to pursue his dreams, but success did not come . Working as a songwriter, Nelson penned hits for other artists. which helped him gain a foothold in the competitive music scene. His songwriting skills contributed to his early earnings. laying the foundation for his net worth.
Rise to Stardom
Breakthrough Albums
The 1970s marked a turning point in Willie Nelson's career. His albums "Shotgun Willie" (1973), "Red Headed Stranger" (1975). and "Stardust" (1978) received critical acclaim and commercial success. These albums not only solidified his position in the country music genre. but also introduced his music to a broader audience. The success of these albums played a crucial role in boosting Willie Nelson net worth.
Iconic Songs
Willie Nelson net worth is also attributed to his extensive catalog of hit songs. Tracks like "Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain," "On the Road Again," and "Always on My Mind" have become timeless classics. These songs have not only earned Nelson large royalties but have also ensured his continued relevance in the music industry.
Acting and Film Career
Hollywood Ventures
In addition to his music career, Willie Nelson has also made a mark in Hollywood. His distinctive personality and on-screen presence have landed him roles in several films and television shows. Notable appearances include roles in "The Electric Horseman" (1979), "Honeysuckle Rose" (1980), and "Barbarosa" (1982). These acting gigs have added a significant amount to Willie Nelson net worth.
Television Appearances
Nelson's char
"Understanding the Carbon Cycle: Processes, Human Impacts, and Strategies for...MMariSelvam4
The carbon cycle is a critical component of Earth's environmental system, governing the movement and transformation of carbon through various reservoirs, including the atmosphere, oceans, soil, and living organisms. This complex cycle involves several key processes such as photosynthesis, respiration, decomposition, and carbon sequestration, each contributing to the regulation of carbon levels on the planet.
Human activities, particularly fossil fuel combustion and deforestation, have significantly altered the natural carbon cycle, leading to increased atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations and driving climate change. Understanding the intricacies of the carbon cycle is essential for assessing the impacts of these changes and developing effective mitigation strategies.
By studying the carbon cycle, scientists can identify carbon sources and sinks, measure carbon fluxes, and predict future trends. This knowledge is crucial for crafting policies aimed at reducing carbon emissions, enhancing carbon storage, and promoting sustainable practices. The carbon cycle's interplay with climate systems, ecosystems, and human activities underscores its importance in maintaining a stable and healthy planet.
In-depth exploration of the carbon cycle reveals the delicate balance required to sustain life and the urgent need to address anthropogenic influences. Through research, education, and policy, we can work towards restoring equilibrium in the carbon cycle and ensuring a sustainable future for generations to come.
Characterization and the Kinetics of drying at the drying oven and with micro...Open Access Research Paper
The objective of this work is to contribute to valorization de Nephelium lappaceum by the characterization of kinetics of drying of seeds of Nephelium lappaceum. The seeds were dehydrated until a constant mass respectively in a drying oven and a microwawe oven. The temperatures and the powers of drying are respectively: 50, 60 and 70°C and 140, 280 and 420 W. The results show that the curves of drying of seeds of Nephelium lappaceum do not present a phase of constant kinetics. The coefficients of diffusion vary between 2.09.10-8 to 2.98. 10-8m-2/s in the interval of 50°C at 70°C and between 4.83×10-07 at 9.04×10-07 m-8/s for the powers going of 140 W with 420 W the relation between Arrhenius and a value of energy of activation of 16.49 kJ. mol-1 expressed the effect of the temperature on effective diffusivity.
WRI’s brand new “Food Service Playbook for Promoting Sustainable Food Choices” gives food service operators the very latest strategies for creating dining environments that empower consumers to choose sustainable, plant-rich dishes. This research builds off our first guide for food service, now with industry experience and insights from nearly 350 academic trials.
Diabetes is a rapidly and serious health problem in Pakistan. This chronic condition is associated with serious long-term complications, including higher risk of heart disease and stroke. Aggressive treatment of hypertension and hyperlipideamia can result in a substantial reduction in cardiovascular events in patients with diabetes 1. Consequently pharmacist-led diabetes cardiovascular risk (DCVR) clinics have been established in both primary and secondary care sites in NHS Lothian during the past five years. An audit of the pharmaceutical care delivery at the clinics was conducted in order to evaluate practice and to standardize the pharmacists’ documentation of outcomes. Pharmaceutical care issues (PCI) and patient details were collected both prospectively and retrospectively from three DCVR clinics. The PCI`s were categorized according to a triangularised system consisting of multiple categories. These were ‘checks’, ‘changes’ (‘change in drug therapy process’ and ‘change in drug therapy’), ‘drug therapy problems’ and ‘quality assurance descriptors’ (‘timer perspective’ and ‘degree of change’). A verified medication assessment tool (MAT) for patients with chronic cardiovascular disease was applied to the patients from one of the clinics. The tool was used to quantify PCI`s and pharmacist actions that were centered on implementing or enforcing clinical guideline standards. A database was developed to be used as an assessment tool and to standardize the documentation of achievement of outcomes. Feedback on the audit of the pharmaceutical care delivery and the database was received from the DCVR clinic pharmacist at a focus group meeting.
Natural farming @ Dr. Siddhartha S. Jena.pptxsidjena70
A brief about organic farming/ Natural farming/ Zero budget natural farming/ Subash Palekar Natural farming which keeps us and environment safe and healthy. Next gen Agricultural practices of chemical free farming.
UNDERSTANDING WHAT GREEN WASHING IS!.pdfJulietMogola
Many companies today use green washing to lure the public into thinking they are conserving the environment but in real sense they are doing more harm. There have been such several cases from very big companies here in Kenya and also globally. This ranges from various sectors from manufacturing and goes to consumer products. Educating people on greenwashing will enable people to make better choices based on their analysis and not on what they see on marketing sites.
Micro RNA genes and their likely influence in rice (Oryza sativa L.) dynamic ...Open Access Research Paper
Micro RNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNAs molecules having approximately 18-25 nucleotides, they are present in both plants and animals genomes. MiRNAs have diverse spatial expression patterns and regulate various developmental metabolisms, stress responses and other physiological processes. The dynamic gene expression playing major roles in phenotypic differences in organisms are believed to be controlled by miRNAs. Mutations in regions of regulatory factors, such as miRNA genes or transcription factors (TF) necessitated by dynamic environmental factors or pathogen infections, have tremendous effects on structure and expression of genes. The resultant novel gene products presents potential explanations for constant evolving desirable traits that have long been bred using conventional means, biotechnology or genetic engineering. Rice grain quality, yield, disease tolerance, climate-resilience and palatability properties are not exceptional to miRN Asmutations effects. There are new insights courtesy of high-throughput sequencing and improved proteomic techniques that organisms’ complexity and adaptations are highly contributed by miRNAs containing regulatory networks. This article aims to expound on how rice miRNAs could be driving evolution of traits and highlight the latest miRNA research progress. Moreover, the review accentuates miRNAs grey areas to be addressed and gives recommendations for further studies.
1. 1
DESERT ECOLOGY
By
Prof.A. Balasubramanian
Centre for Advanced Studies in Earth Science,
University of Mysore, Mysore
Introduction:
While studying the physical features and geomorphology of landforms, a very unique nature of
landmass comes into our mind. It is very unique in various aspects. That is the dry landmass called
as the Desert. Earth has numerous land areas covered by deserts. Among all the terrestrial
ecosystems, deserts are very typical landforms due to their unique ecological conditions. Desert
and near-desert areas cover nearly one-third of the land surface of the globe .
Deserts alone covers about seventh of the land surface.
We normally call deserts as “sand seas or oceans of sands”. Most of the major desert areas like as
the Sahara, the Arabian, the Kalahari, and the Deserts of Australia all lie between 10 and 30
degrees north or south of the equator. Deserts are dry ecosystems comprising a substantial part of
the globe. Deserts are to be fully understood in earth science studies. This report is about the
Deserts as unique landforms.
Objectives:
The objectives of this report are , to provide the details about :
1. The Geomorphology of Deserts
2. The Types of Deserts
3. The Flora of deserts
4. The Fauna of deserts and
5. The Natural Resources of deserts.
Characteristics of Deserts
Deserts are characterised by the following ecological factors:
a. Sandy soils and a rocky substratum
b. Scanty rainfall and high evaporation
c. Hot and Cold weather
d. Prevailing Wind action
e. Poor Soil Moisture and water resources
Geomorphology of Deserts
Deserts are created by changes in climate and accumulation of sands and other rocky wastes. A
high proportion of the desert floor is an erosion surface of a bedrock.
2. 2
Sand covers about 10 to 20 per cent of the deserts. The rest of the land consists mostly of gravels,
boulders, mountains, and various types of soils.
A desert landscape includes various landforms created by wind erosion. In the heart of the desert
the wind has a free play. Wind erosion creates mounds of sand dunes and flat-topped hills known
as mesas and buttes. The sand bodies of deserts are always on rolling motion due to the prevailing
action of wind.
Sand drifts, Crescentic Dunes or Barchans, Loess and Longitudinal dunes and sand sheets are the
notable wind-borne geomorphic features. One of the most remarkable features of desert dunes is
their power of collecting all the sand from their neighborhood.
Sand dunes
Dunes are large piles of wind-borne sands reaching a maximum height of 250 metres above the
surface.
Dunes show many shapes and patterns that change continually due to the highly active winds.
Deserts are considered to be highly dynamic geomorphic features. Dunes are characterized by
two-sided slopes one along the windward direction and the other along the leeward side.
Soils in Deserts
Soils in desert regions are generally fertile but lacks soil moisture to encourage plant growth.
Temperature in deserts
Climatologically, deserts are the hottest places in the world because they absorb more heat from
the Sun than any other land in humid climates. Deserts are mostly under arid to semi-arid climates.
The temperature varies during day and nights.
In summer, desert temperatures often reach upto 38 °C during the day. They drop upto 25 degrees
Celsius or more at nights. During the winter, temperatures in the desert range from 10 to 21 °C.
Clouds would reflect much of the sun's intense radiation during the day, slowing the rate of heating
of the air near the surface. At night, clouds and water vapour would absorb much of the earth's
radiation--most of which consists of infrared rays--slowing the rate of cooling. Winters are much
colder in middle latitude semiarid areas and deserts.
Rainfall over Deserts
Rainfall is a determining factor of deserts. Rainfall is very scanty in all desert regions. It spite of
these deserts are not barren wastelands. Characteristics that are common to all deserts include
a) irregular rainfall of less than 250 mm per year,
b) very high evaporation rates often 20 times the annual precipitation, and
c) low relative humidity and cloud cover.
Most of the deserts receive less than 200 mm rainfall per year. However, the amount of rainfall
may vary greatly from year to year. A desert may not receive any rain for several years and in
some cases about 250mm of rain might fall within a few hours.
3. 3
Wind movement in deserts
Wind movements in deserts are capable of eroding, transporting and depositing the sand masses.
The following are the processes expected:
Deflation is a kind of Wind Erosion. It is a process by which loose sediments are removed by the
wind.
The sediments must be dry. The sand and silt sized material will be moved first. The larger sized
material are generally left behind. Deflation creates its own types of landforms. The deflation
landforms are:
a) Blowouts – these are shallow depressions formed by removal of sediment. Their diameters
range from a few meters to 1000 meters.
b) Desert Pavement – these are fine material removed from the surface leaving a cover of pebbles,
cobbles
and boulders. The coarser material protect the fine material beneath the surface from further
erosion.
Abrasion
Another kind of erosional mechanism in desert by the wind is abrasion. Abrasion is a kind of "sand
blasting". In this process, the impact of windblown particles on exposed surfaces will remove
material from that surface. Abrasion will also reduce the size of the particles that are being moved.
It is generally limited to heights of 1 meter (2 meters max.) Abrasion creates its own kind of
landforms. The notable ones are ventifacts and yardangs.
Ventifacts are land surfaces containing pebbles, cobbles or boulders that have been eroded on one
or more
sides by wind abrasion. Yardangs are ridges which run parallel to dominant wind direction,
believed to be
formed by abrasion. They also create a pillar-like structure which are undercut by abrasion.
Dust Storms in deserts
Deserts experience severe dust storms regularly. Dust storms are heavy concentration of dust (silt-
sized particles) in a turbulent air mass. The dust can be carried hundreds or thousands of meters
into the air. The large dust storms can carry as much as 100 million metric tons of material for
several kilometers distance.
Sand Storms
Sand storms are low moving blankets of wind-driven sands. In this, the sand reaches heights of 1-2
meters above surface. The sand storms often contain dust and sand.
Water availability in Deserts
4. 4
Another controlling factor of desert is the presence of water. Due to very scanty rainfall and sandy
soil, deserts have no or very little possibility of holding water. Only in some depressions very little
water may exists. Soil moisture is a rare feature in deserts. Even if little soil moisture is present,
due to hot climate and prevailing winds, it will be evaporated quickly. The drainage system is made
up of dried streams called arroyos. After a rainfall, water fills the arroyos. They run down the
mountains and cut away the land, carrying deposits of gravel, rock, and sand to the bottom. Oasis is
a wet and fertile zone in a desert with vegetation. Underground water comes nearer to the ground
surface. Open wells and springs do exist in such spots. Water that occurs within an oasis has been
drawn through groundwater base flow from distant catchments like mountains or hills. Because
oases have some water, farming and settlement are expected to be more. Some oases may be small
and can support only a few people, but others are large enough to support millions of people.
Desert Topography
The typical desert topography includes playas, alluvial plains, Pediments, inselbergs, mesas, buttes
and badlands. Playa are dry lake beds formed by evaporation from temporary (few hours to
several months), shallow accumulations of excess water (playa lake) following infrequent and
intense rainstorms. Playas are characterized by mudcracks and precipitated salt crystals, forming
salt pans.
Alluvial fans are sediments deposited downslope of the land, typically as aprons at the mouth of
canyons or as a piedmont plain. Alluvial fans coalesce to form a bajada, a broad alluvial apron
with an undulating surface. Pediments are the sloping low-relief surfaces adjacent to mountains
resulting from erosion and retreat of the mountain front. Most covered by thin veneer of debris,
alluvial fans, or bajadas.
Inselbergs
Inselbergs are isolated, steep-sided erosional remnants of bedrock (characterized by greater
resistance to weathering than surrounding mountains) that rise above flat desert plains.
Inselberg is a German word meaning "island mountain".
Mesas and buttes
Mesas are broad, flat-topped erosional remnants bounded on all sides by steep slopes. Mesas
consist of relatively easily weathered sedimentary rocks capped by nearly horizontal and more
resistant rock layer.
Buttes are isolated pillar-like structures resulting from continued eathering and erosion of mesas
Badlands are areas of closely spaced ravines with little or no vegetation.
Major kinds of Deserts
The distribution of arid regions or deserts is determined by the climate and topography. Based
these two factors, arid terrains are subdivided into
a) tropical deserts and
5. 5
b) topographic deserts.
Tropical Deserts:
The Tropical deserts have a big diurnal temperature range and very high daytime temperatures,
whereas mid-latitude deserts have a wide annual range and much lower winter temperatures (in
the Mongolian desert the mean temperature is below freezing point for half the year). Heat
enhances evaporation over deserts.
Topographic Deserts:
Topographic controls on desert formation also reflect a deficiency in rainfall. Topographic deserts
are located near the center of continents, where climates are hot in summer and cold and dry in
winter. These regions are typically far from ocean moisture sources, and most often are cut off
from rain-bearing winds by high mountains.
Steppes
Steppes are Deserts and adjacent semi-arid regions. These regions may get rainfall between 10
and 20 inches per year. They are characterized by a non-continuous vegetation cover. The
tropical desert lie within latitudes from 5º to 30º. The rainfall are mainly caused by the descent of
air. This is responsible for the warmness of land and loss of moisture.
Types of Deserts
Based on their surface forms and soil composition, deserts are classified into the following four
types:
a) Rocky Deserts
b) Stony Deserts
c) Sandy Deserts
d) Clayey Deserts.
Rocky deserts
Rocky deserts have uneven topography between mountain ridges and groups of small hills.
Mountain ridges have rugged summits and crests, steep slopes with outcrops of rocks. Talus and
scree debris are numerous on hill sides. They are not completely devoid of vegetation. Isolated
small and large shrubs can be located on the lower parts of the slopes., in valleys and depressions.
Some water springs appear on valley floors.
Stony deserts
Stony deserts are completely flat or gently undulated areas with stones of rocky wastes comprising
sharp edged rock fragments or pebbles. There may not be any vegetation and water. Sahara and
Arabian Deserts are stony deserts.
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Sandy deserts
Sandy deserts are areas of loose sand which forms hillocks in the shape of barchans and dunes.
These are characterised by uneven surfaces of undulating chains of dunes with isolated short
valleys or hollows with little vegetation. They resemble like sea-waves. Barchans reach a height of
200m. It is difficult to walk straight across on these zones. One has to clim the crets and descend
into the hollows. It is easier to walk aided by wind. Sand storms are common creating an
atmospheric haze.
Clayey Deserts
Clayey Deserts are not extensive. The clayey floors are crackd into polygonal sections. Soil is of fine
silt in composition with sparse vegetation. Soils of Clayey deserts are mostly saturated with salts.
Geographical classification of deserts
Deserts are also classified based the geographic conditions.
The geographical classification of deserts also include:
a) Continental deserts- eg. Gobi desert
b) Rain-shadow deserts- due to tall mountain ranges- eg. Judean desert in Israel
c) Coastal deserts- Eg. Atacama Desert in S. America, Namib Desert of Africa.
d) Trade wind deserts- Eg. Sahara desert- temperature goes upto 57deg.C
e) Monsoon deserts- eg. Thar Desert in India, Cholistan Desert of Pakistan
f) Polar deserts- Eg. The Dry Valleys of Antarctica – are ice free for thousands of years.
g) Extra-terrestrial deserts- deserts of other planets, Eg. Mars have shown eolian features.
h) Montane deserts.
Hot and Cold Deserts
From an ecological point of view, deserts are also classified into two major kinds as
a) Hot deserts and
b) cold deserts.
Flora of deserts
Desert plants cannot use so much water at once, and the desert soil cannot absorb all of it. Most of
the water runs off, carrying away the soil particles.
Most deserts plants are drought or salt tolerant, such as Xerophytes. Some store water in their
leaves, roots and stems. Other desert plants have long tap roots that penetrate the water table,
anchor the soil, and control erosion. The stemps and leaves of some plants can lower the velocity of
sand-carrying winds and protect the ground from erosion.
Life forms of Plants
The following three life forms of plants that are adapted to deserts:
a) The annuals, which avoid drought by growing only when there is adequate moisture
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b) The succulents- such as the cacti, which store water and survive
c) The desert shrubs- which have numerous branches with small but thick leaves to store water.
Adaptation to desert environment and arid climate involves the ability to avoid wilting and remain
dormant for long periods rather than an increase in transpiration efficiency. Desert soils are
infertile, lacking in humus and generally grey or red in colour. Deserts cannot support the
abundant plant and animal life as found in humid climates. But many kinds of plants and animals
thrive in deserts. The few plants capable of surviving such conditions are widely spaced, scrubby
and often thorny. Long-rooted plants (phreatophytes) such as the date palm and musquite
commonly grow along dry stream channels. Salt-loving plants ( halophytes) such as saltbushes
grow in areas of highly saline soils and near the edges of playas (dry saline lakes).
Xerophytes
Xerophytes are drought-resistant and survive by remaining leafless during the dry season or by
reducing water losses with small waxy leaves. They frequently have shallow and widely branching
root systems and store water during the wet season (for example, succulents and cacti with pulpy
stems).
Desert plants survive compete with small amount of water available. Some desert plants obtain
water from deep beneath the surface of the earth. For example, the American mesquite tree has
roots that extend as deep as 12 metres. Other plants store large amounts of water in their leaves,
roots, or stems. The stem of the barrel cactus bulges with water after a rainfall and shrinks as the
plant uses the water.
All desert vegetation has a highly characteristic spatial distribution plants. Individual plants are
scattered. This spacing reduces competition.
Some of the typical flora of deserts are:
a) Creosote bush- (Larrea) – North America, hot deserts
b) Sagebrush –( Artemisia) Great basin- Cool Deserts
c) Bur sage( Franseria)- high altitude plants
d) Giant cactus- ( Sahuaro)-
In addition to these little grass also grows on deserts but are grazed by the animals. Greesewood(
sarcobatus) is a typical vegetation in cool deserts.
The extensive sand bar grounds of deserts is not necessarily free from plants.
Mosses, algae, and lichens may be present. Blue green algae are the nitrogen fixers in these regions
also.
After every rainfall, colourful flowers and lush vegetation cover parts of deserts. This dramatic
change occurs because many desert plants do not grow during a drought. Due to rain, plants
sprout, flower, scatter their seeds, and die. The entire process usually takes only a few weeks. The
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seeds of annuals can survive even the longest dry periods. The seeds lie buried until the rains
return. They then sprout, and the plants complete their life cycle within a few weeks.
In the deserts of Australia, the dominant plants are
tussock grasses, such as porcupine grass or spinifex, and
succulent herbs, such as parakeelya.
After the rains, the deserts come alive with beautiful flowers, such as the purple mulla-mullas.
In the deserts of North and Central America, cactuses are prominent. Cactuses are protected from
grazing animals by their sharp spines. Many cactuses have beautiful flowers.
In Africa, the most abundant desert plants are the euphorbias, which have a poisonous milky sap.
The Sonoran Desert of the American Southwest has the most complex desert vegetation on earth.
The giant “saguato cacti” provide nests for desert birds and serve as “trees”of the desert. Saguaro
grow slowly but may live upto 200 years. Its branches develop after 75 years. When fully grown it
is 15 m tall and weigh 10 tons.
In addition to these, other types of plants belonging to pea family and sunflower family are seen in
deserts.
Fauna of deserts
Animals of the deserts have developed special body structure and ways of life that enable them to
survive under the extreme heat.
Centipedes, gerbils, kangaroo rats, snakes, and
scorpions spend the day in burrows.
They come out to search for food only when temperatures drop at night.
Many insects,
lizards, and
tortoises can tolerate high desert temperatures and are active in the daytime.
Many of them retreat underground or find the shade of a tree, during the hottest part of the day.
Some snails, insects, frogs, lizards, mice, and
ground squirrels aestivate in deserts, i.e they sleep through the summer.
Elf owls, roadrunners, snakes, spiders, bees and butterflies are the other fauna of deserts.
Many desert dwellers have light-coloured skin, which helps keep them cool by reflecting sunlight.
Desert animals include many kinds of insects, spiders, reptiles, birds, and mammals. Deer, foxes,
wolves, and other animals may visit a desert after a rainfall.
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Most desert animals avoid the extreme midday heat by feeding at night after the temperature has
dropped. Many small animals dig burrows underground and stay there during the day. Some of
these animals are dormant (inactive) throughout the summer.
Desert foxes and hares have long ears.
When overheated, these animals move to a cool cave or burrow where they can get rid of excess
body heat through their ears.
The Cape ground squirrel makes its own shade by using its fluffy tail like a parasol.
Fairy shrimp and spadefoot toads may spend months or years underground waiting for rain to
create ponds. Then they quickly feed and reproduce before the ponds dry again.
Larger desert animals try to remain in shady areas during the day. The evaporation of water from
their bodies lowers their body temperature, but this water must be replaced. Such animals obtain
water from the food they eat and from the few water holes that exist in a desert.
Desert animals also use water that is produced in their bodies during digestion. This source of
water is particularly important to camels, which can go for long periods without food and water.
Large amounts of fat are stored in the humps of camels. A camel can live for months on the water
produced when its body breaks down this fat for use as energy.
Most deserts lie near the edges of the tropics. Food and water are often scarce in deserts, and
temperatures in the summer can be scorching. Despite these conditions, many kinds of animals
live there.
Whenever deserts are discussed no one can forget anout the “Ship of the Deserts” ie. The Camels.
These are unique creatures which can not only survive, but also help the human beings across hot,
dry deserts with little food or water. They walk easily on soft sand where even trucks would get
stuck, and carry people and heavy loads to places that have no roads. Camels also serve the people
of the desert in many other ways. A Camel carries its own built-in food supply on its back in the
form of a hump. The hump is a large lump of fat that provides energy if food is hard to find.
There are two chief kinds of camels:
(1) the Arabian camel, also called dromedary, which has one hump, and
(2) the Bactrian camel, which has two humps.
Hybrids (crossbreeds) of the two species were used widely in Asia. These hybrid camels had one
extra-long hump and were larger and stronger than either of their parents.
Camels have been the domestic animals to support humans for thousands of years. There are
several million Arabian camels, and most of them live with the desert people of Africa and Asia.
This desert ship can go for long distances without water for days or even months. The amount of
water a camel drinks varies with the time of year and with the weather. The camels that graze in
the Sahara can go all winter without water and may refuse to drink if water is offered to them. But
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a large, thirsty camel can drink as much as 200 litres a day. This water is not stored in the camel's
body but replaces water previously used up.
Most animals sweat when hot, and the evaporation of the water from their skin keeps them cool.
But camels do not sweat much. Instead, their body temperature rises by as much as 6 degree
Celsius during the hot summer day and then cools down during night.
On extremely hot days, a camel keeps as cool as possible by resting rather than feeding.
Adaptation to the topography, landforms and climate is a unique feature of desert animals. They
live with very scanty food resources.
Human population in deserts
Human population in deserts are also equally facing the same issues. Deserts do not support a large
number of people as in humid regions. People living in desert regions must adjust to the local and
prevailing hot or dry climate. Air-conditioning and irrigation projects have made life more
comfortable for other desert dwellers.
Natural Resources of deserts
Deserts have enormous sands and soil resources. The soil of deserts are mineral soils often called
as aridisols with low organic content.
Most desert soil is too dry to support widespread vegetation, but much of it is rich in salt, uranium,
and other minerals. Playas are sources of mineral deposits formed by evaporation.
Gypsum, sodium nitrate, sodium chloride salts and Borates are the major precipitates.
Minerals formed by evaporation are often referred to as evaporites. Many of them are used in the
manufacture of glass, ceramics, enamel, agricultural chemicals, water softeners and
pharmaceuticals. Sodium nitrites are used for explosives and fertilizers. Many metallic and non-
metallic mineral resources also are obtained from the desert zones.
Annual production of dry matter
The primary production in deserts depend on the little amount of available water and also the
consumption strategy adopted by the plants. It is very low as 30-200 gm/ sq.m in arid zones, above
the ground. The herbivores have a pronounced impact on primary producers. The detrital food
chain seems to be less important in the desert than any other ecosystems. Because of the limited
production and decomposition, nutrients are limited in the deserts.
Walter in 1954 has measured the net productivity of a series of deserts and semi-arid communities.
The annual production of dry matter was a linear function of rainfall upto 600cms. This has also
shown that the overall limiting factor of deserts in productivity is the moisture. It has been found
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that he annual net productivity of true deserts is less than 2000 kg per hectare. When this is
overcome due to rain, then the soil becomes a limiting factor.
Other produces
Date palm tree produces date fruits. They thrive in hot, dry climates. They grow along oases
throughout northern Africa and the Middle East. The date palm is one of the oldest crop plants
known to have been used for at least 5,000 years. Even today, dates form an important part of the
diet in many desert countries. Dates are also supplied to other places from these lands.
In addition to these, large deposits of oil and natural gas lie under many desert lands. Some of the
more productive petroleum areas on Earth are found in arid and semi-arid regions of Africa and
the Middle east although oil fields were originally formed in shallow marine environments. Recent
climate change, in geological time scale, has placed these reservoirs in an arid environment. The
hydrocarbon reservoirs of the North Sea is associated with extensive evaporite deposits. Many of
the major U.S. hydrocarbon resources may come from eolian sands.
Location of Oases
The location of Oases has been of critical importance for trade and transportation routes in desert
areas. Caravans must travel through these places that supplies water and food.
The natural factors creating deserts have not changed much for thousands of years. It is observed
over the world that various human activities have caused expansion of desert regions. This has
happened due to continuous loss of fertile land on the outskirts of such regions. Planting shelter
belts of trees will be one of the solutions.
The role of human beings in reconstructing the desert landscapes on their outskirts will certainly
stop their expansion over the other regions.
Desert Regions of the World
Desert Region is a geographic zone experiencing a mean annual precipitation of 10 inches or less,
and relatively devoid of vegetation. There are Four types of desert regions which can be classified
as:
- Subtropical Deserts
- Rainshadow Deserts
- Continental Deserts
- Polar Deserts
The Subtropical Deserts exist between 25°-30° Latitude.
These deserts form in response to dry descending air mass in Hadley Cell circulation. Examples are,
Sahara Desert, Arabian Peninsula, Kalahari Desert, and the Great Sandy Desert.
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The Rainshadow Deserts exist over the mountain ranges which block the passage of moist air. The
leeward side of the ranges are normally arid. Examples are, Atacama Desert, Patagonia, Death
Valley, eastern Washington and eastern Oregon.
The Continental Deserts are centralized locations of deserts with in the continental interiors. There
may be no nearby, large sources of water. Examples are many including the Gobi Desert.
The Polar Deserts are located around polar regions. Cold air is unable to hold much moisture. This
kind of Polar areas are arid having very little precipitation. The polar Deserts are not defined by
temperature. Examples are- Greenland; Antarctica.
Conclusion
Deserts are dry landforms comprising of sand and sediments. They are the cradles of centrifugal
eolian forces. Deserts sometimes contain valuable mineral deposits that were formed in the arid
environment or that were exposed by erosion. Evaporation in arid regions enriches the mineral
accumulation in their lakes. Playas may be sources of mineral deposits formed by evaporation.
Water evaporating in closed basins precipitates minerals such as gypsum, salts (including sodium
nitrate and sodium chloride), and borates. The minerals formed in these evaporite deposits depend
on the composition and temperature of the saline waters at the time of deposition. The natural
forces that create deserts have not changed much for thousands of years. However, various human
activities have caused desert regions to expand considerably. The major causes of desert
expansion include mining, improper farming methods, and destruction of trees.