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Deserts and xeric (Ancient Greek ξηρός xērós 'dry') shrublands form the largest terrestrial biome, covering 19% of Earth's land surface area. [2] Ecoregions in this habitat type vary greatly in the amount of annual rainfall they receive, usually less than 250 millimetres (10 in) annually except in the margins.
Although deserts have severe climates, some plants still manage to grow. Plants that can survive in arid deserts are called xerophytes, meaning they are able to survive long dry periods. Such plants may close their stomata during the daytime and open them again at night. During the night, temperatures are much cooler, and plants will experience ...
Today the remaining forest is mostly southern tropical thorn scrub, [3] and also includes patches of the original vegetation, tropical dry deciduous forests. [1]Southern tropical thorn scrub forests consist of open, low vegetation with thorny trees with short trunks and low, branching crowns that rarely meet to form a closed canopy.
In some places, shrubland is the mature vegetation type, and in other places, the result of degradation of former forest or woodland by logging or overgrazing, or disturbance by major fires. [citation needed] A number of World Wildlife Fund biomes are characterized as shrublands, including: [6] [7] Desert scrublands The Nullarbor plain in Australia
Many desert animals (and plants) show especially clear evolutionary adaptations for water conservation or heat tolerance and so are often studied in comparative physiology, ecophysiology, and evolutionary physiology. One well-studied example is the specializations of mammalian kidneys shown by desert-inhabiting species. [81]
This coastal strip is of particular importance because further inland where the fog does not have an influence, most of the Arabian Peninsula is desert. Vegetation varies progressively away from the coast which features dense woodland of Terminalia dhofarica, Senegalia senegal and various thorny Commiphora trees and shrubs. The richest flora ...
Representative fauna in tropical deserts include the armadillo lizard, banded Gila monster, bobcat, cactus wren and cactus ferruginous pygmy owl. Moreover, some other animals in deserts including coyote, desert bighorn sheep, desert kangaroo rat, desert tortoise, javelina and Mojave rattlesnake, cougar. Overall, different tropical deserts have ...
A thorn forest is a dense scrubland with vegetation characteristic of dry subtropical and warm temperate areas with a seasonal rainfall averaging 250 to 500 mm (9.8 to 19.7 in). Regions [ edit ]