Cold Deserts

1
Cold Deserts

• Chelsey Hedrick
• Walt Robinson

2
Climate

• The average temperature throughout the year
  ranges from -2 to 26 degrees Celsius or 28 to 78
  degrees Fahrenheit in most cold deserts. The
  north and south poles are exceptions, being
  extremes.
• The annual precipitation can be anywhere from 0
  to 46 centimeters. However, this normally comes
  in the form of snow, ice, or fog which cannot be
  used to nourish the soil, plants, or animals.

3
Where Are Cold Deserts Found?
Cold deserts can be found.

• Where there is high atmospheric pressure.
• Around the 30 degree latitude line (Tropic of
  Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn).
• On the west coast of continents with cold ocean
  currents OR in the interiors of continents.
• On the peaks of very high mountains.

• In the rain shadows of high mountain ranges.
• Near both the North and South Poles.
• Some well-known cold deserts include the Gobi
  (Asia), Atacama (South America), Great Basin
  (North America), and Namib Desert (Africa)

4
Native Species
PlantsAnimals

• strict wild buckwheat (Eriogonum strictum)
• Cold Desert Phlox (Phlox stansburyi)
• Sego Lily (Calochortus nuttallii)
• Rabbit Brush (Chrysothamnus depressus)
• Red Algae (Rhodophyta)

• Wolf (Canis lupus )
• Llama (Lama glama)
• Jackrabbit (Lepus californicus)
• Prairie Dog (Cynomys ludovicianus)
• Kangaroo rat (Dipodomys heermanni)

5
Invasive Species

• Flamingos

• Humans

6
Predator and Prey

• Common Predators Caribou, brown bears, Siberian
  tiger, foxes, snow leopard, Gobi wolf
• Common Prey Squirrels, beavers, dogs, small
  deer, a few birds, wild boar.

7
Relationships

• Siberian tigers are one of the largest hunters on
  earth and need over 20 pounds of meat a day to
  sustain life. They even prey on brown bears at
  times.
• Below the Tigers are small predators such as snow
  leopards and wolves.
• These animals feed on primary consumers which
  feed on what little plant life is available.

8
Environmental Concerns

• One main environmental concern of this biome is
  global warming.
• Not only do rising temperatures destroy habitat
  for animals but it also causes deserts to become
  even more dry than they already are.
• Humans destroy some animals habitats to develop
  building or use resources.
• The Gobi Desert, along with others, is growing so
  rapidly that people could lose their homes
  because the climate will become uninhabitable.
• Wind storms blow dust into fresh water causing
  serious health concerns like lung problems.

9
Unusual Features

• The Atacama desert is the driest place on earth.
  It is 50 times drier than Death Valley in
  California.
• NASA uses the Atacama desert to run tests because
  it mimics the lifeless soil of Mars.
• The Atacama is also considered to be the oldest
  desert in the world followed by the Namib.

10
Surrounding Biomes

• The main two biomes that surround cold deserts
  are tundras and regular deserts.
• The only difference in these two biomes are the
  amount of precipitation and temperature.
• They share many of the same plants and animals.

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Chile the Atacama Desert

• Population (as of 7/2009) 16,601,707
• Ethnic groups 95 white/ white-Amerindian, 4
  Mapuche, 1 other
• Religion 70 Roman Catholic,
• 15 Evangelical, 15 other
• 95.7 literacy rate
• School life expectancy 14 years
• Colonized by the Spanish in the Age of
  Exploration, gained independence September 18,
  1810, Chilean culture is a product of a
  cross-fertilization of European and indigenous
  influences.

• Major industries include copper, salts, and
  other minerals agriculture fishery iron and
  steel timber and wood products transport
  equipment cement and textiles.
• Some major tourist attractions include Easter
  Island, the Torres del Paine National Park, the
  numerous volcanoes and skiing resorts, and, of
  course, the Atacama Desert.

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Andean Flamingo

• Genus-species name
• Phoenicopterus P. andinus.
• These flamingos feed by placing their head into
  the water and filtering algae through their
  specialized beak.
• Flamingos can walk, swim, and fly adequately.

13
Andean Flamingo

• Reproduction is a long process. The female lays
  one egg on the mud near the shore which must be
  incubated for 28 days by the mother and the
  father. After that, the baby must remain with
  its parent for 70 to 80 days.
• Typically found in shallow water in a high
  altitude desert oasis.

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Andean Flamingo Adaptations

• Andean flamingos have smaller beaks than average
  because there is less food in their habitat and
  must filter more effectively.
• Flamingos also have extremely long legs in
  portion to their bodies which they can lock and
  stand still for hours.

15
Strict Wild Buckwheat

• Buckwheat thrives in course soils, sunlight, and
  extremely cold weather. These conditions allow
  it to grow easily in cold deserts.
• Adaptation Roots extend on an average of 14
  inches to reach deep, underground water sources.

• Kingdom Plantae
• Eriogonum strictum
• Producer bottom of food web
• It propagates through seeds and bare roots.
• Its seeds are produced at a maximum during the
  warmer summers.

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Works Cited

• http//www.plantsystematics.org/reveal/pbi o/eriog
  /erioeucy/strictum.html
• http//www.travour.com/travel-to- chile/chile-tour
  ist-attractions/
• www.chipsites.com/ww/chile_culture_101. html
• http//www.blueplanetbiomes.org/desert_animal
• http//newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images
• CIA World Factbook
• http//extremescience.com/DriestPlace
• http//www.mbgnet.net/sets/deserts
• http//www.runet.edu/swoodwar/CLASSES
• http//www.neararctica.com/ecology/habitats/desert
  s