Ecological Succession
Project:
Desert Biome
Tasnia & Sirine
Provisioning Ecosystem Services:
-Food : The crimson hedgehog cactus blooms flowers that can be
baked into cakes. Generally, cacti from the desert are the main
providers of food.
-Fresh Water : Fresh water is not commonly found on the surface
of the desert biome. Instead, massive reserves of water can be
tapped out from underground.
-Medicine: In India and arid portions of Western Asia, there is
a plant in the desert called Prosopis Spicigera Linn. This plant
is one of the most common medical plants in India,known to spread
ability and its importance for the Indian desert. This plant is
also called “The Golden Tree” or can be called “the Wonder Tree.”
Visual Representation of Resources:
Copper
Arizona
deserts have
some of the
largest
copper
reserves in
the world.
This is due
to magma
rising from
Earth’s crust
and hardening
Oil
Lead
Dead
micro-organisms
in the desert
don’t have the
chance to
decompose due
to the low
levels of
oxygen in the
desert regions.
Thus, they can
maintain their
Mineral
deposits are
extremely
common in the
desert biome
due to the
natural climate
and climate
related
occurrences.
Lead, similarly
to Copper, can
Regulating Ecosystem Services:
Regulating Pollination: Hummingbirds, bees, bats, and butterflies aid
in pollination in the desert. These animals and insects carry pollen
from plant to plant to allow the pollination of desert plants such as
saguaro cacti that wouldn’t be able to survive without these animals
and insects.
Moderation of Extreme Events: Sand dunes in the desert act as a
natural barrier between the ecosystem of the desert and natural
disasters, minimizing the damage of a natural disaster.
Regulating Erosion and Soil Fertility: Lines of trees are planted
called shelter belts and placed in rows to prevent soil erosion. Soil
fertility is regulated through low amounts of nitrogen and organic
matter with extremely high calcium carbonate and phosphate.
Supporting Ecosystem Services:
Habitats for species: A lot of the animals in the desert are
nocturnal, where they rest underground or under rocks until it gets
dark. Once it gets dark, it is also much cooler so they can freely
hunt for food without being in the heat.
Maintenance of genetic diversity: To maintain genetic diversity,
gene flow between one generation to the next needs to happen often.
This, however, might result in overpopulation in the desert that
already has limited resources. Usually small mammals, reptiles, and
insects inhabit the desert, along with some larger mammals like
camels and donkeys that have gotten used to the conditions of the
desert.
Maintenance of genetic diversity: Since deserts lack a lot of water
and and have extreme weather year round, these limiting factors both
affect the genetic diversity of the desert. This explains how many
plants and animals in the desert do not have high genetic diversity.
Cultural Ecosystem Services:
-Tourism: The Middle East offers some of the best places for
desert travel and the most popular destinations include…
- the Sahara Desert
- the White Desert
- the Great Pyramid at Giza
Throughout the year while touring in the deserts you can see the
historical aspects, while also having access to activities
including, but not limited to, riding camels, sandboarding, and
dune bashing
-Religious Sites: A popular religious site in the desert is the
Salvation Mountain. The Salvation Mountain is a structure created
in the desert by Leonard Knight. People from all over come to see
this structure for its unique artistry, the mountain is known for
its love for humanity.