Abiotic Factors of the Desert
- Sunlight - Acts as a primary source of energy in the desert.
- Temperature - The distribution of plants and animals is greatly influenced by extremes in temperature for instance the warm season.
- Water - Water is essential for life and all organisms depend on it to survive in especially desert areas.
- Atmospheric Gases - The most important gases used by plants and animals are oxygen, carbon dioxide and nitrogen.
- Winds - Winds carry water vapour which may condense and fall in the form of rain, snow or hail. Wind plays a role in pollination and seed dispersal of some plants, as well as the dispersal of some animals, such as insects. Wind erosion can remove and redistribute topsoil, especially where vegetation has been reduced. Warm berg winds results in desiccation which creates a fire hazard. If plants are exposed to strong prevailing winds are they usually smaller than those in less windy conditions. Winds or air currents arise on a world-wide scale as a result of a complex interaction between hot air expanding and rising (convection) in the mid latitudes due to thermodynamics.
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- Sunlight - Acts as a primary source of energy in the desert.
- Temperature - The distribution of plants and animals is greatly influenced by extremes in temperature for instance the warm season.
- Water - Water is essential for life and all organisms depend on it to survive in especially desert areas.
- Atmospheric Gases - The most important gases used by plants and animals are oxygen, carbon dioxide and nitrogen.
- Winds - Winds carry water vapour which may condense and fall in the form of rain, snow or hail. Wind plays a role in pollination and seed dispersal of some plants, as well as the dispersal of some animals, such as insects. Wind erosion can remove and redistribute topsoil, especially where vegetation has been reduced. Warm berg winds results in desiccation which creates a fire hazard. If plants are exposed to strong prevailing winds are they usually smaller than those in less windy conditions. Winds or air currents arise on a world-wide scale as a result of a complex interaction between hot air expanding and rising (convection) in the mid latitudes due to thermodynamics.
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