What Makes A Desert

The largest deserts in the world are the Sahara, the Arabian, and the Australian, are inbetween 30o South and 30o North, Latitude. There are three types of Sand Dunes, Cresent dunes, U-shaped, star shaped Dunes, and tarnsverese Dunes. Ricciuti, 1996.

Geographic Distributions

Desertification is the transformation of arable or habitable land to 

desert, 

as by a change in climate
                           or destructive land use.

1/3 of the earth’s
                           land surface is threatened by desertification. (4 

billion 

hectares)

Desertification is found
                           in parts of Asia, Africa, Australia, Europe, 

N. 

America,
                           and S. America.

Desertification is caused
                           by overgrazing, deforestation, 

arable-farming, and 

bio industrial.

Deforestation
                           is the main reason for desertification is Asia, Europe, 

and S. 

America. It is the biggest problem
                           with desertification.

Overgrazing is the main reason in Africa
                           and Australia.

Arable-farming is the main reason in N. America.

Bio industry is not a very large reason for desertification.

Dominant Fauna and Flora

Most animals in the desert are nocturnal and usually obtain water from 

seeds.

Most mammals in the desert
                           are small because there isn’t enough shelter 

in 

the desert for large mammals.

The dominant animals in the desert are reptiles such as snakes and 

lizards.

http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/glossary/gloss5/biome/deserts.html

Deserts hold a large variety of plant and animal
                           species.

Many plants can not live in the desert
                           because of its lack of water.

Cacti are the dominant
                           plant in the desert.

Cacti receive there water from the rain
                           and store it in there stem, and 

then 

they wait for the next rain.

http://mbgnet.mobot.org/sets/desert/

Abiotic Factors

The deserts from desertification
                           have little precipitation.

The deserts also have
                           a very hot climate during the day and cold 

climate 

during the night.

Desertification
                           uses up all of the rich soil therefore not many plants 

can
                           

grow.