Sydnie Racine
White 7
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The cold deserts main trait are the cold winters with
snowfall and high overall rainfall in the winter and
sometimes in the summer.
The average temperature of a cold desert in the winter
is between -2 °C and 4 °C.
The average temperature in the summer is between 21
°C and 26 °C.
The average precipitation per year is 15 to 26
centimeters.
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The cold deserts are found mostly in high latitude or in
high altitude.
They are located between the sub-tropic areas and the
polar regions.
Every continent has a cold or hot and cold desert,
except for Europe.
Some of the most famous cold deserts are Antarctica,
the Gobi Desert, and the Patagonian Desert of South
America.
http://www.cotf.edu/ete/images/modules/k4/biomes/Boverview3P3.gif
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The plants in the cold deserts are scattered and vary in
height, 15 cm to 122 cm.
Most of the deciduous plants have spiny leaves.
A few common cold deserts plants are the aloe Vera
plant, the Saguaro cactus, the barrel cactus, and the
Joshua tree.
http://protectsnakevalley.com/plants_files/Cold%20Desert%20Scru
b.jpg
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Many plants need to conserve water and nutrients , so
the plants stunt their growth for half of the year.
Many of the plants have short roots, so they absorb any
available water.
A lot of cactuses have keep the water in the thick roots
or in the pulpy interior.
Other plants have thin knife-like leaves that will
prevent any excess water evaporation.
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Most of the animals in the desert are small to medium
in size.
There are few water holes in the cold deserts, so the
animals get the water from their food.
Many of the animals make burrows to hide from the hot
sun.
Many of the animals have light colored skin or fur so
they do not absorb the sun’s hot rays.
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Many of the animals include lizards such as Gila
monsters and Egyptian spiny tailed lizard.
http://hawar-islands.com/blog/media/blogs/kuwait/kuwait2/images/Kuwait%20bird%20trip%20report%202007_img_4.jpg
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Some of the burrowing animals include the kit fox,
kangaroo rat, prairie dog, and bat-eared fox.
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http://blog.earth-touch.com/images/uploads/bat-eared_fox.jpg
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Humans have not had a huge impact on the cold
deserts. The only people who live or reside in the
deserts are nomads or scientists. Both groups of people
never stay long in the desert, due to the harsh
conditions.
The only damage that humans can do is four wheeling
across the desert. The toxic fumes are foreign to the
plants and animals in the desert, so the life forms there
may die.
The other problem that is growing is desertification.
This is when fertile lands turn into deserts because of
deforestation or overgrazing of farm animals.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/geography/weather/globalclimaterev_print.shtml
http://library.thinkquest.org/C0113340/main.php?section=biomes&topic=desert&subtopic=cl
imate
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http://www.cotf.edu/ete/modules/k4/biomes/Boverview3.html
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http://www.buzzle.com/articles/desert-biome-animals-and-plants.html
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http://maps.grida.no/go/graphic/human_impact_in_desert_areas_1700_2000_and_2050
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http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/exhibits/biomes/deserts.php
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http://www.blueplanetbiomes.org/desert.htm