Sahara Desert Biome

The Sahara Desert Biome

• The Sahara Desert biome includes a variety of ecosystems, such as oasis ecosystems, dune ecosystems, and a marine environment.
• Oasis ecosystems feature date palm trees, freshwater, and animals like crocodiles.
• Dune ecosystems have a constantly changing landscape determined by the wind, and organisms like snakes and scorpions must adapt to survive in the sand dunes for long periods.
• The marine environment is characterized by cool fogs created by the Atlantic Ocean on the Northwest African coast, and is home to shrubs and animals that feed on small trees, such as goats.

The Gobi Desert Biome

• The Gobi Desert biome in Mongolia and China is distinct from the Sahara Desert biome.
• The Gobi Desert is a cold desert with frequent snowfall and freezing temperatures.
• Ecosystems in the Gobi are based on kilometers of bare rock, rather than sand.
• Some grasses can grow in the cold, dry climate, supporting grazing animals like gazelles and takin, an endangered species of wild horse.

The Antarctic Desert Biome

• The Antarctic Desert biome is characterized by a thick ice sheet covering a continent made almost entirely of dry, bare rock.
• Only a few mosses can grow in this desert ecosystem, supporting a few bird species, such as skuas.

Ecosystems and Human Activity

• Human populations have overtaken many ecosystems, leading to the destruction of habitats and the loss of biodiversity.
• The tallgrass prairie of the Great Plains, once home to bison herds, was converted into farmland, leading to a decline in bison populations.
• Today, a few bison herds survive in protected ecosystems like Yellowstone National Park.
• Similarly, the Amazon rainforest ecosystems are threatened by human activity, such as deforestation for farmland, housing, and industry.

Ecosystems and Biodiversity

• Ecosystems can be small or large, and are characterized by a complex web of relationships between biotic and abiotic factors.
• Tide pools are an example of a small, complete ecosystem, featuring seaweed, herbivores like abalone, and carnivores like sea stars.
• The Amazon rainforest ecosystems support vast food webs, including canopies, understories, and forest floors, and are home to a wide variety of plants and animals.

Biomes and Ecosystems

• Biomes are large sections of land, sea, or atmosphere, characterized by the types of plants and animals that live in them.
• Ecosystems are often connected in a larger biome, and are organized based on the types of plants and animals that live in them.
• Examples of biomes include forests, ponds, reefs, and tundra.