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Aridisols (or desert soils) are a soil order in USDA soil taxonomy. [1] Aridisols (from the Latin aridus , for "dry", and solum ) form in an arid or semi-arid climate. Aridisols dominate the deserts and xeric shrublands , which occupy about one-third of the Earth's land surface.
Like arid deserts, temperatures can vary greatly in semi deserts. They share some characteristics of a true desert and are usually located at the edge of deserts and continental dry areas. They usually receive precipitation from 250 to 500 mm (9.8 to 19.7 in) but this can vary due to evapotranspiration and soil nutrition.
Desertification is a gradual process of increased soil aridity.Desertification has been defined in the text of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) as "land degradation in arid, semi-arid and dry sub-humid regions resulting from various factors, including climatic variations and human activities."
Soil is dry for at least half of the growing season and moist for less than 90 consecutive days; common in arid (desert-like) regions. Xeric: Soil moisture regime is found in Mediterranean-type climates, with cool, moist winters and warm, dry summers. Like the Ustic Regime, it is characterized as having long periods of drought in the summer.
This is an accepted version of this page This is the latest accepted revision, reviewed on 20 January 2025. Arid region in India and Pakistan Thar Desert Great Indian Desert Thar Desert in Rajasthan, India Map of the Thar Desert ecoregion Ecology Realm Indomalayan Biome Deserts and xeric shrublands Borders Northwestern thorn scrub forests Rann of Kutch seasonal salt marsh Geography Area ...
Desert ecology is the study of interactions between both biotic and abiotic components of desert environments. A desert ecosystem is defined by interactions between organisms, the climate in which they live, and any other non-living influences on the habitat. Deserts are arid regions that are generally associated with warm temperatures; however ...
Soil color, while easily discerned, has little use in predicting soil characteristics. [109] It is of use in distinguishing boundaries of horizons within a soil profile, [ 110 ] determining the origin of a soil's parent material , [ 111 ] as an indication of wetness and waterlogged conditions, [ 112 ] and as a qualitative means of measuring ...
For example, biological soil crusts are more dominated by green algae on more acidic and less salty soils, whereas cyanobacteria are more favored on alkaline and haline soils. Within a climate zone , the abundance of lichens and mosses in biological soil crusts generally increases with increasing clay and silt content and decreasing sand.