The Desert Biome

Mojave Desert (U.S.) Click on image for full size (373K JPG) NBII Digital Image Library - John J. Mosesso, Photographer

Deserts are full of interesting questions. How can anything survive in a place with hardly any water? Why is it so dry to begin with?

You can find at least one desert on every continent except Europe. Each desert is different in some way, but they all have one thing in common. In order for an area of land to be considered a desert, it must receive less than 10 inches of water a year.

Clouds are scarce in deserts. Without clouds, there can't be rain, snow, or any other precipitation. Clouds also shade the land, so without them, the desert gets mighty hot as the Sun beats down during the day. At night, the desert can become very cold, because there isn't moisture in the air to hold onto the heat.

The geology of each desert is unique. Some deserts have sand dunes - great waves of sand weathered from rock, that move over time as wind blows the sediment. Other deserts have no dunes but instead have unique rock formations carved by wind and streams that only flow at times when there is moisture.

Many plants and animals survive in these vast, dry lands. Learn more about life in the desert by exploring the links below.

Desert Plants

Desert Insects and Arachnids

Desert Reptiles

Desert Birds

Desert Mammals

Camels