How do plants and animals manage to live in the desert? Detailed answer

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How do plants and animals manage to live in the desert? Detailed answer

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How do plants and animals manage to live in the desert?

There are many different types of deserts. In some, there is a scorching heat all year round, from which even sand and stones groan. In others, such as the great Gobi desert, hot summers are replaced by very cold winters.

However, any desert is a region in which only special species of living organisms can exist, adapted to life in this particular desert. For example, the well-known Mexican desert cacti have thick, fleshy stems and spines instead of true leaves. In general, shrub plants living in deserts have very small leaves, or none at all. The small leaf surface prevents too much moisture from evaporating from the plant.

Many desert plants have thorns and needles, while others have an unpleasant taste and smell. Thus, they protect themselves from animals and do not allow themselves to be eaten. During the dry or cold season, plants tend to be "dormant" or produce seeds that can survive such a period. When it's time for growth, the seeds germinate, new plants grow out of them, which quickly fade and produce a new crop of seeds. After a few weeks or months, the plant is again dormant.

An obligatory ability of all animals living in deserts, without exception, should be the ability to do without water for a long time or to get to sources located at a great distance from each other.

A perfect example of an animal adapted to life in the desert is the camel. He has special pads on his feet to make it easier to walk on hot sand, a stomach in which water accumulates, a fatty hump - an energy store needed during long transitions in an area devoid of vegetation, and tightly closed nostrils to prevent sand from entering the lungs. during sandstorms. Many of the little desert dwellers do not drink water at all. They get moisture from plant sap and night dew on leaves and stones.

Author: Likum A.

Random interesting fact from the Great Encyclopedia:

Why did they write letters in England in the 19th century, writing a piece of paper up and down?

In the 19th century in England, the postage rate was calculated from the number of sheets of paper. Therefore, for the sake of economy, letters were often sent without envelopes - the recipient's address was written on a folded piece of paper. And in order to fit more text, they often resorted to the so-called crossed writing, when, upon reaching the end of the page, it was turned 90 ° and new lines were written across the written ones.

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