Hot and Dry Deserts

Day 10         Today I learned about the Nitrogen cycle in the desert biome. It was much more interesting than I originally thought it would be! I learned that the cycle can begin through the uptake of nitrates by desert plants. The desert plants that contain Nitrate are consumed by insects and reptiles. The nitrates are then transferred when these primary consumers are consumed by secondary consumers. The nitrates are passed up along the food chain to carnivores that later pass away and allow the nitrates to return to the soil. Once in the soil, the bacteria and fungi mineralize the Nitrogen back into a state that the plants can use. This then restarts the process and the cycle begins again.         This cycle is important because it allows desert plants to grow once they receive the nitrogen. If these plants did not receive Nitrogen they would not grow, which would cause the plants to die. If the plants in the desert died , the primary consumers would be affected because the

Day 9       Today is my 9th day in the desert. I learned about how humans have impacted the desert biome. I was very concerned when I learned that humans have been negatively impacting the desert through exploitation. This results in the drainage of underground aquifers and soil poisoning through salinisation. This is accelerating the rate at which deserts are drying out and having to be killed off. I learned that desert margins are particularly vulnerable and it is there that humans settlements are most at risk of desertification. I also learned that Humans cause pollution which affects the atmosphere of the desert. Humans drill for fossil fuels such as oils which can negatively impact the desert. Humans also use many machines and factories which can further pollute the atmosphere of the desert biome. Organisms living near these factories or machines are affected first and very quickly by this pollution.  Overall, I learned a lot about the negative impacts cause by humans that affe

Day 8      Today I learned about a general food web of the desert biome.   I was able to also see some of these animals in action and I noticed there were cacti almost everywhere.  The primary producers include cacti, creosote bushes, thorn acacias, annual flowers, rabbit brush, ocotillo, and the sage brush.  The primary consumers, or plant eaters, are insects, rodents, kangaroo rats, and lizards.  The small predators, carnivores, and insectivores in the desert include scorpions, larger lizards, snakes, and tarantulas.  Finally, the largest predators of the desert are the hawks and foxes.  I posted a picture of the desert food web below.  Food Web in the Desert Biome  I also have a picture of an energy and biomass pyramid of a desert.  The producers include the Whisk Fern, Mesquite Tree, and the Saguaro Cactus.  Some primary consumers include the Mule Deer, Black-Tailed Jackrabbit, Turkey Vulture, and Giant Desert Centipede.  Secondary consumers in this pyramid include the

Today is one of the more interesting days here at the desert. It is my 7th day and I have learned a lot about the water cycle in the desert. Right now, you may be thinking: “How is there a water cycle in a biome with little to no water?” I thought this as well until I experienced what I’m about to tell you for myself. So, to start off the water cycle, heat causes liquid and frozen water to evaporate into water vapor gas, which rises high in the sky to form clouds.  This forming of clouds is called condensation.  These clouds travel across the globe and drop rain and snow, which is known as precipitation. These clouds are so powerful that they are even able to precipitate in places as water scarce as the desert. That is how the water cycle works in the desert biome. Cool right?! Here's a picture for more understanding: Water Cycle in the Desert                                                            

Today is my 6th day exploring this large and vast desert. My goal today was to find examples of each symbiotic relationship between two species. The first relationship I found was mutualism between a Goby fish and a Shrimp. When a predator would come near the burrow in which the fish and shrimp are living, the fish touches the shrimp with its tail as a warning. Then, both the fish and the shrimp retreat to the burrow for safety until the predator is gone. From this relationship, the shrimp benefits by receiving a warning of danger, and the fish benefits by getting a safe retreat and a place to lay it’s eggs. Pistol Shrimp and Gobi Fish The second relationship I found was commensalism between a hermet crab and a snail.  Hermit crabs benefit by using the shells of dead snails for home, while the snail is unaffected. Hermit Crab and Snail The third relationship I discovered was parasitism between coyotes and fleas. The fleas hungrily latched onto the coyote in order to suck

Hey blog,  Today was my 5th day in the desert. My tour guide took me to see the plants of the desert. I was surprised to see this plant life because I thought the desert was too hot to support life. The first plant I saw was a cactus.  This cactus was 10 feet and 100 years old but I learned that cacti can grow up to 20 feet two and live for over 200 years! The type of cactus I saw was a Giant Saguaro cactus, which has adapted to the harsh conditions of the desert biome. It’s shallow roots enable this type of cactus to soak up rain and dew before it evaporates, which is helpful because the evaporation typically overtakes precipitation in the desert. The cacti in the desert also have a spongy interior which allows them to expand and hold a lot of water. I also learned that cacti grow slowly to conserve energy. Cacti in the desert  My tour guide also took me to see the Mugma Trees. The Mugma Tree is another plant that has adapted to live in the desert biome. This ty