5
Hot Deserts By Rachel Kubica

Hot Deserts

Embed Size (px)

Citation preview

Hot DesertsBy Rachel Kubica

Climate & Weather• Temperatures during the

day can soar over 100° F (38° C)• Temperatures drop

below freezing at night. • Have less than

20 inches of rain annually • Most deserts only

receive 10 inches

Plant Adaptations• Many plants slow down growth for half

of the year to conserve moisture .• When the short rain season comes,

plants will get colorful and grow flowers and leaves.

• Cacti store large amounts of water in their thick stems.

• Small , thin leaves prevent water loss by giving the sun a smaller area to evaporate water.

Animal Adaptations• They need to regulate their body

temperature all day and all night. • In the cold night weather, animals keep warm

as long as they ate enough food.• Both reptiles and animals make

burrows to escape the heat.• During the driest times of the year, some

animals will hibernate to conserve more moisture.

Effects on the Body• Sandstorms in some deserts have adverse

effects on respiratory systems and eyes; sandstorms can go on for days.

• In hot deserts, high temperatures cause rapid loss of water due to sweating, which can lead to dehydration.