Friday, December 17, 2010

Commensalism-21°07′S 14°33′E / 21.117°S 14.55°E / -21.117; 14.55


A desert holly shrub provides shade for young creosote bushes. In this the Creosote bush benefits, and the desert holly shrub is not effected.


Friday, December 10, 2010

Mutualism-35°03′09″N 118°10′26″W / 35.0525°N 118.17389°W / 35.0525

Mutualism

Owls nesting in cacti is an example of mutualism because the owls get a safe place to nest and protection from the cactus, and the cactus is not affected by the owls action.

Introduced Species-S 33° 51' 41.10, E 151° 12' 17.85.

The Cactus Moth
The cactus moth is an introduced specie to the desert biome. It is native to South America and is a moth that eats the prickly pear cactus. At first it was brought to the Carribeans to contorl the prickly pear cactus population, and it came to the U. S. either naturally or by cargo imported from the Carribean. Now they are destroying populations of prickly pear cactus which serves as landscaping and for food for humans and animals. 2% of the value and production from agriculture in Mexico is the prickly pear cactus.

Limiting Factors-30°0′0″N 27°5′0″E

A Limiting Factor is a factor or resource that controls a process. A density-dependent  is where a large, crowded population is more affected by a limiting factor than a small, less crowded population. Some examples are parasites, competition for the little vegetation avaliable in the desert, and diseases.

A density Independent factor is an abiotic factor like weather that affects an environment regardless of its size. Some examples of density independent factors are the high temperatures of the desert, the lack of water in a desert, and wind causing sand storms.

Tuesday, December 7, 2010

Predators of the Desert Biome-35°03′09″N 118°10′26″W / 35.0525°N 118.17389°W / 35.0525

The Mojave Rattlesnake is a predator to rodents, lizards, other snakes, birds and their egges, and some insects

      
The Coyote is a predator to mice, rats, ground squirrels, lagomorphs, and carrion.

The Golden Eagle is a predator to lagomorphs and rodents.

Endangered Species of the Desert- 44° 0' 0 N, 105° 0' 0 E

The Bactrian Camel

The Bactrian Camel is on the endangered species list and can be found in remote areas of the Gobi and Taklimakan Deserts. Some reasons for their extinction are hunters, competion with domestic animals for water and land, settling of oases by pastoralists, prospecting for oil and gold, and the hybridization with domestic camel stock.



 


 

Food Chain- 21°07′S 14°33′E

Desert Biome Food Chain



Friday, December 3, 2010

Precipitation and Temperature-27°40′31″N 8°07′43″W

 
Deserts receive less than 50 centimeters a year.

Its temperature ranges from 20 to 25 degrees celsius. Its extreme temperatures can get up to 43.5 and 49 degrees celsius and can reach as low as -18 degrees celsius.

A cold desert, such as the Antartic, Greenland and Neartic is betwen -2 and 4 degrees celcius. In the summer it can be 21 to 26 degrees celsius. Cold deserts recive 15 to 26 centimeters of precipitation in a year

Desert Soil Type and Geographic Features-32° 15′ 36″ N, 112° 55′ 34″ W


The soil of deserts are course, shallow, rocky, and very nutrient because all they need is water to be productive. There is little to no organic matter within the soil of deserts. The soil type allows good drainage when it does rain and there is no subsurface water.

One geographic condition that affects the desert biome are mountains. Mountains cause rain shadow deserts by blocking rain from the deserts. Another geographic condition affecting deserts are cold water upwells along a cost. These stabilize the air and also prevent mosture from foming, therefore creating a cool coastal desert.

Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Biotic factors-32° 15′ 36″ N, 112° 55′ 34″ W

Plants, animals, and bacteria, fungi, and protist are all biotic factors of the desert biome. In the Picture abouve some of the biotic factors are the trees and grass.

Abiotic Features-32° 15′ 36″ N, 112° 55′ 34″ W


Rainfall, air, ground temperature, water, water temperature, humidity, wind speed, day length, sand, sunlight, and temperature are all abiotic factors of the desert biome. In the picture above you can see sand, and sunlight as abiotic features.

Where are deserts???-32° 15′ 36″ N, 112° 55′ 34″ W


There are deserts in Southern Asia, Central and South America, Ethiopia, Africa, West America, and Antartica. Many deserts found are on 30 degrees latitude north, or 30 degrees latitude south. Some examples of deserts in North America are the Chihuahuan Desert, the Sonoran Desert, The Mojave Desert and the Great Basin

Prickly Pear Cactus Latitude: 44° 0' 0 N, Longitude: 105° 0' 0 E

Opuntia: prickly pear cactus is a common plant of the desert biome


Friday, November 5, 2010

Chain Fruit Cholla-32° 15′ 36″ N, 112° 55′ 34″ W


Opuntia fulgida- chain fruit cholla

Brittlebush 32°15′36″N 112°55′34″W / 32.26°N 112.92611°W / 32.26; -112.92611

Encilia farinose- brittlebush
Common plant of the desert biome.

Ocotillo 33°50′10″N 117°53′23″W / 33.83611°N 117.88972°W

Fouquiera- splendens-ocotillo
Common plant of the desert biome.

Barrel Cactus 32°15′36″N 112°55′34″W / 32.26°N 112.92611°W / 32.26; -112.92611

Ferocactus- barrel cactus
Common plant of the desert biome

Desert Tortoise 36°51′N 117°17′W / 36.85°N 117.283°W / 36.85; -117.283

Gopherus agassizii- desert tortoise
Common animal of the desert biome.

Desert Bighorn Sheep 36°34′42.89″N 118°17′31.18″W / 36.5785806°N

Campylorhynchus brunneicapillus- desert bighorn sheep
Common animal of the desert biome

Cactus Wren 33°39′54″N 114°13′15″W / 33.665°N 114.22083°W / 33.665; -114.22083


Campylorhynchus brunneicapillus- C
actus Wren
Common animal of the desert biome

Gila Monster Latitude:N 31° 46' 10.056"Longitude:W 106° 30' 23.0796"

Heloderma Suspetum- Gila Monster
Common animal of the desert biome.

Armadillo Lizard 35°03′09″N 118°10′26″W

cordylus cataphractus-armadillo lizard
An example animal of the desert biome is the armadillo lizard.