Page 163 - SST Class 07

DESERT VEGETATION

Deserts are large, dry areas which experience
extreme climatic conditions. Desert are of two
types – hot deserts and cold deserts.
Hot Deserts
They are found in tropical and subtropical areas.
These deserts experience very high temperature
with extremely low rainfall. Vegetation cover
includes thorny bushes, cacti and few short trees.
These have long roots, thick stems, waxy leaves
Camel
and thorns which help to survive in the harsh
Camel is the most important animal which can
climatic conditions. Few trees like the date palms
survive in the harsh weather conditions. It is
are found in Oasis.
known as the ‘ship of the desert’. Other animals
found here are antelopes, gazelles, wild asses,
rodents, desert foxes, snakes, lizards and different
types of insects.
Cold Deserts

Found in higher latitudes and on high moun-
tains, these cold deserts are found around the
North pole in Eurasia and North America. The
extremely cold conditions do not allow, growth of
vegetation on large scale. Small plants like
mosses, lichens and few bushes grow here only
Oasis
during the short summers. These treeless regions
The Sahara and the Kalahari deserts of Africa, are called ‘Tundra’.
Atacama desert of South America, Sonoran
Animals here have thick skins or fur which
desert of North America, the Great Australian
protects them from extremely cold conditions.
desert, Arabian desert and the Indian desert are
Polar bears, seals, walruses, reindeers, muskox,
the important ones which are generally found in
arctic owls and snow foxes are some of the
the western margins of continents.
animals found here.

Great Australian Desert Reindeers
Social Science-7 163