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♤ Deserts are formed in regions with less than 25 cm of annual rainfall, or sometimes in hot regions where there is more rainfall, but unevenly distributed in the annual cycle.
♤ Lack of rain in the mid latitude is often due to stable high pressure zones; deserts in temperate regions often lie in “rain shadows”, that is, where high mountains block off moisture from the seas.
♤ The climate of these biomes is modified by altitude and latitude. At high altitudes and at greater distance from the equator the deserts are cold and hot near equator and tropics.
♤ The perennial plant like creosote bush, cactus are scattered throughout the desert biomes.
♤ In shallow depressed areas with salt deposits geese-wood, seepwood and salt grasses are common.
Do you know?
Sri Venkateshwara Zoological Park located in Tirupati city in Andhra Pradesh is the largest zoo in the country.
♤ Because water is the dominant limiting factor, the productivity of a given desert is almost directly dependent on the rainfall. Where soils are suitable, irrigation can convert deserts into productive agricultural land.
♤ As the large volume of water passes through the irrigation system, salts may be left behind that will gradually accumulate over the years until they become limiting, unless means of avoiding this difficulty are devised.
Do you know?
Polar bears are very well adapted to swimming, with a water-repellent coat and partially webbed feet.