Our planet is rich in climatic conditions. There are large snow-covered spaces, wetlands, forests, steppes, and deserts. And in all climatic zones animals live and plants grow. Even in such hot and waterless expanses as deserts and semi-deserts there is life. It is the animals of these regions that will be discussed in this article.

What is desert and semi-desert?

Before we talk about what animals of deserts and semi-deserts live on our planet, it’s worth talking about their habitat. What is a desert? What features does it characterize?

The desert is a place with a harsh climate and virtually absent flora and fauna. There are several varieties, these are:

• sandy;
• rocky;
• clayey;
• salt marsh.

Each of them has its own characteristics, depending on which the animals living in them differ. But the main thing in all types of deserts is the low amount of precipitation. As a rule, they do not reach 200 mm per year. Moreover, most of them (up to 50%) fall in spring period. But it is not uncommon for there to be no rain at all for several years.

If we talk about temperature parameters, they can be different. Everything will depend on the location of the deserts. If the largest “wasteland” is the Sahara, famous for its high temperatures(of course, only in the daytime), then others, for example, the famous Gobi, is famous for its winter frosts (up to -50 degrees). Generally speaking, then in summer period Any desert is very hot during the daytime, and at night temperatures can drop below zero. In winter it is much colder, but not everywhere. Everything will depend on the distance of the deserts from the ocean coast. The further you go, the colder it gets.

Russia does not have real deserts. But there are semi-deserts in the country. Here the climate is a little milder, and the flora and fauna are richer. The temperature difference here is not so significant. And precipitation falls three to four times more than in the desert.

Features of the animal world of deserts and semi-deserts

The fauna that inhabit deserts and semi-deserts has some peculiarities. They are associated with the specifics of the habitat.

1. Large herbivores run fast. The desert has a sparse plant life; in order to have enough food you need to run a lot. Besides there's nowhere to hide here, which means salvation from predators is only in fast running. The same applies to birds. They are capable of flying long distances in a day.
2. Smaller animals learned to jump to escape predators. Jerboas and hares, fleeing from foxes, make jumps and confuse their tracks.
3. Since many small mammals and lizards live in burrows, they have acquired various digging devices (combs and brushes on their paws).
4. Due to the lack of large vegetation, many birds make their nests in abandoned burrows.

All these features create the special animal world of deserts and semi-deserts. But, in addition to specific inhabitants, representatives of adjacent climatic zones also live here. For example, in semi-deserts you can often find a steppe wolf or a fox.

Fauna of Russian deserts and semi-deserts

Russia, as mentioned earlier, does not have real deserts. There are several places covered with sands (Tsimlyansk and Archedinsko-Don sands), but their territory is quite small, therefore the natural world there is the same as in the neighboring steppe zone.

But Russia has some semi-desert areas located in southern regions(Orenburg, Rostov, Volgograd regions). Here is a real semi-desert and the fauna corresponds to it.

Representatives live here:

• mammals: sand hare, long-eared hedgehog, ground squirrel, jerboa, corsac fox;
• birds: sparrow, bullfinch, bustard, partridge, warbler, lark, jay;
• reptiles: monitor lizards, various lizards, numerous snakes, steppe turtles;
• insects: spiders, beetles, locusts (a real disaster for Agriculture).

Most animals, especially in summer, are nocturnal. This is due to high temperatures. All they spend the day in holes and only at dusk they go out to get food.

But there are also those who are awake during the day. So, for example, gophers can be called a real guardian of the semi-desert. These are typical Russian inhabitants of such regions. They live in large groups, several of which are constantly on guard.

Predators are represented by corsairs. This is a small (body length up to 60 cm) animal from the canine family. The corsair lives in holes, but rarely digs them himself. Mainly uses abandoned dwellings. Except the corsair You can often see wolves and foxes, but they come here from the steppes adjacent to the semi-desert.

The largest representative of the inhabitants of semi-deserts is the camel. In our country, he lives in the Kalmyk and Orenburg steppes. This large animal can go without water for many weeks.

But still, due to lack of food, most representatives of the fauna of such regions have small in size. All kinds of rodents and lizards, small birds and small predators are the main inhabitants of such arid areas.

The driest areas of our planet are semi-deserts and deserts. Temperature fluctuations in deserts during the day can reach 30 degrees or more. It's raining here - very rare, and the sun is incredibly hot.

Daytime temperatures in summer can be over 50 degrees, and at night even frosts are sometimes possible. It would seem that there is no place for plants here, but this is not so - in all deserts there are special forms of vegetation unique to it.
The climatic conditions of the deserts have formed vegetation that blooms luxuriantly in the spring, when sandy or clay soils covered for a short time with a bright carpet flowering plants. But as soon as the long, hot and dry summer sets in, all desert vegetation freezes, annual plants dry out and perennial herbs continue their lives underground. Shrubs and subshrubs also shed their leaves at this time.
Where do plants get water from during hot, dry periods? After all, in the desert the number of

Kapma 20

Desert in spring

in the evaporated moisture is many times greater than the amount received. It turns out that sands are capable of condensing atmospheric moisture at night, turning it into water and accumulating it in the surface layer. Due to it, desert plants that have surface roots exist. Another source of water is deep groundwater, which is reached by plants with long roots. But everything is moisture
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Desert in summer

equally little, and desert plants over the many millennia of their existence have developed special adaptations for minimal water consumption. Their leaves have a very small evaporating surface and often disappear completely or turn into spines.
Here, for example, is acacia. Translated from Greek, “acacia” means thorn.
Acacia spines come in a wide variety of varieties: large and small, thick and thin, long and sharp, like needles, or branched into several spines that point in different directions. But there are acacias without thorns. At the sand acacia
In the spring, fluffy silvery leaves appear, which soon fall off, and the short leaf petioles-spines remain the only decoration of the plant for the entire period of the summer heat.
In the deserts of the temperate zone - the Karakum, Kyzylkum, Gobi and some others - small trees of white and black saxaul are found. They often form vast thickets - a kind of desert forests. Saxaul is an amazing shrub tree. It occupies vast, almost waterless spaces in deserts. Black saxaul grows
on highly saline soils, while the white one, with a more powerful root system, prefers sand. Saxaul is a tree without leaves. In black saxaul they are replaced by diverging and hanging branches with brittle greenish twigs at the ends, and in white saxaul they are replaced by scales with a filmy edge.
They are found in abundance in the deserts of North and South America. different kinds cacti, and in South Africa - milkweeds, which are extremely similar to them. These plants store water in their fleshy stems, protected by sharp needles and thorns.
The peculiarity of these desert plants is that they have adapted not only to store water in the stem, but also to protect it from animals. The most terrible of the thorny trees

Cactus and similar spurge

A significant area of ​​our planet is covered with flat surfaces. And some of these places are characterized by particularly aridity, and a minimum of animals live there. Vegetable world such territories has its own characteristics. Experts call these places deserts and semi-deserts; they can be sandy, rocky, clayey and saline. Let's talk about what plants are known that grow in deserts and semi-deserts.

In fact, deserts and semi-deserts can contain quite a lot of the most different plants. However, they all have quite a lot in common, which are caused by growing in similar habitat conditions. Desert vegetation is characterized by strong sparseness and poor species composition, which can be traced over a large area.

What plants grow in desert and semi-desert?

Inland deserts and semi-deserts located in temperate zones are covered with sclerophyllous plants, including leafless shrubs or subshrubs, represented by saxaul, juzgun, ephedra, solyanka, wormwood, etc.

An important part of many deserts and semi-deserts are considered herbaceous plants, which are classified by botanists as ephemera and ephemeroids. Thus, ephemerals are annual crops that have a particularly short growing season. They germinate during the rainy season, when the humidity of deserts and semi-deserts increases slightly. And their entire lifespan usually does not exceed several weeks; before drying begins, they have time to grow, bear fruit, and then die off completely. Quite a few varieties of ephemerals are found on the territory of Russia, they are represented by spring stonefly, oak grass, sickle-shaped horncap, northern breaker, African malcolmia, desert alyssum, etc.

As for ephemeroids, they are perennial crops. Such plants live according to the principle of ephemerals, but with one difference - culture after the end of a short growing season does not die; its underground organs, which have accumulated nutrients, are preserved underground. After the onset of the next favorable period, the life activity of ephemeroids resumes. Classic examples of such crops are yellow goose onion, Siberian kandyk, bulbous bluegrass and spring adonis, etc.

Subtropical and tropical inland deserts located in Africa and Arabia are also covered with xerophilous shrubs and ephemeroids. In addition, succulents also grow in them. These are special plants that consist of tissues that can contain a supply of water. Their leaves are pubescent or covered with a special waxy layer, which reduces evaporation, and the leaves or stems themselves are filled with moisture.

Succulents often have long roots that can reach underground aquifers, and they can also have surface roots that collect moisture from precipitation. The most famous succulents include cacti, aloe, sedum, etc.

Deserts covered with sand dunes or a salt crust are completely devoid of vegetation.

Quite rich vegetation cover characterizes those subtropical deserts and semi-deserts that are located in North America or in Australia. There are practically no areas free of vegetation. Such deserts and semi-deserts are covered with low-growing acacia and eucalyptus trees; as for pebble-crushed stone deserts, semi-shrub saltworts, represented by quinoa, twig, etc., usually grow on them.

If we talk about subtropical deserts or tropical oceanic areas of this type, then in such areas especially many succulent-type plants grow.

Salt marshes of deserts and semi-deserts located in the temperate, subtropical and tropical zones have many similar features, including species diversity plants. On their territory there are halophilic plants, also called halophytes. These crops easily tolerate high soil salinity. Halophytes are often similar to succulents - they have thick and somewhat swollen leaves, which is explained by attempts to retain hard-to-reach moisture. Classic examples of such plants are saltwort, comb grass, anabasis, varieties of wormwood, immortelle, etc.

Some semi-shrubs or shrubs can also grow on desert salt marshes, for example, tamarix or saltpeter, etc.

The flora of oases, large river valleys and other wet areas differs significantly from the main vegetation of deserts and semi-deserts. Thus, in the valleys located in the desert-temperate zone of Asia, there are thickets of some deciduous trees, for example, turgan poplar, willow, and elm. And in the valleys of rivers flowing in the subtropical and tropical zones, evergreen crops grow, represented by palm trees and oleander.

Basically, all plants growing in semi-deserts and deserts are adapted to exist in harsh conditions - with a minimum of moisture, dry air, severe insolation or winter frosts.

Deserts and semi-deserts are a natural area characterized by almost complete absence and very poor wildlife. All this is due to the extremely harsh climatic conditions of the planet where they are located. Deserts, in principle, can form in almost any region. Their formation is primarily associated with low rainfall. This is why deserts are primarily found in the tropics. Tropical deserts occupy the territory of most of tropical Africa and the western coast of the tropical zone, as well as the territory of the Arabian Peninsula. Here their formation is associated with the year-round dominance of tropical air mass, the influence of which is enhanced by the terrain and cold currents off the coast. Also a large number of Deserts are located in the subtropical and temperate zones of the Earth. This is a territory in South America, where their formation is due to the isolation of the southern tip of the continent from the penetration of moist air by cold currents, as well as in the interior and Central Asia. Here, the formation of deserts is already associated with a strong continental climate due to the great distance from the coast, as well as mountain systems that prevent the penetration of moisture from the ocean. The formation of deserts can also be associated with extremely low temperatures on the planet; we consider this type of deserts, called Arctic and Antarctic deserts, separately.

The natural conditions of deserts are extremely harsh. The amount of precipitation here does not exceed 250 mm per year, and in large areas it is less than 100 mm. The driest desert in the world is the Atacama Desert, where no rainfall has been recorded for 400 years. The largest desert in the world is the Sahara, located in the North (pictured. Author: Rosa Cabecinhas and Alcino Cunha). Its name is translated from Arabic as “desert”. The highest temperature on the planet, +58°C, was recorded here. Under the scorching rays of the sun in summer months When it reaches its zenith at noon, the sand under your feet heats up to enormous temperatures, and sometimes you can even fry eggs on the stones. However, as the sun sets, the temperature in the desert drops sharply, changes reaching tens of degrees during the day, and on a winter night frosts even occur here. This is due to the constantly clear sky due to the downward flows of dry air from the equator, because of this, almost no clouds form here. The vast open spaces of deserts do not at all prevent the movement of air along the surface of the earth, which leads to the emergence of strong winds. Dust sandstorms come unexpectedly, bringing clouds of sand and streams of hot air. In spring and summer, a strong wind rises in the Sahara - samum, which can be literally translated as “poisonous wind”. It can last only 10-15 minutes, but the hot dusty air is very dangerous for humans, it burns the skin, the sand does not allow you to breathe freely, many travelers and caravans died in the deserts under this deadly wind. Also, at the end of winter - beginning of spring, a seasonal wind begins to blow from the desert almost every year - khamsin, which in Arabic means “fifty”, since on average it blows for fifty days.

Temperate deserts, unlike tropical deserts, are also characterized by strong temperature changes throughout the year. Hot summer gives way to cold, harsh winter. Air temperature fluctuations over the year can be about 100°C. Winter frosts in the deserts of the temperate zone of Eurasia drop to -50°C, the climate is sharply continental.

The flora of deserts in particularly difficult climatic conditions may be completely absent; where moisture remains sufficient, some plants grow, but the flora is still not diverse. Desert plants usually have very long roots—more than 10 meters—to extract moisture from groundwater. In the deserts of Central Asia, a small shrub grows - saxaul. In America, a significant part of the flora is made up of cacti, in Africa - milkweed. The fauna of deserts is also not rich. Reptiles predominate here - snakes, monitor lizards, scorpions also live here, and there are few mammals. One of the few that was able to adapt to these difficult conditions was the camel, which was not accidentally nicknamed the “ship of the desert.” By storing water in the form of fat in their humps, camels are able to travel long distances. For the indigenous nomadic peoples of the deserts, camels are the basis of their economy. Desert soils are not rich in humus, however, they often contain a lot minerals and suitable for farming. The main problem for plants remains water shortage.

These plants are specially adapted to live in hot and dry habitats. The cactus has a thick waxy outer layer to keep water from evaporating. Sagebrush and desert grasses need very little water to survive. Desert and semi-desert plants have adapted to protect themselves from animals by growing sharp needles and thorns.

Most desert and semi-desert plants bloom in the spring, reproducing flowers until the hot summer begins. During the years of wet winter and spring, surprisingly many spring flowers can produce semi-desert and desert plants. Pine trees, junipers and Shrublands sage grow in desert canyons and rocky mountains. They provide shelter from the scorching sun for many small animals.

The least known and underestimated species of desert and semi-desert plants are lichens and cryptogamous plants. Cryptogamous or secretogamous plants - spore fungi, algae, pteridophytes, bryophytes. Cryptogamous plants and lichens need very little water to survive and live in dry, hot climates. These plants are important because they help stop erosion, which is very important for all other plants and animals because it helps keep the soil fertile during high winds and hurricanes. They also add nitrogen to the soil. Nitrogen is important nutrient for plants. Cryptogamous plants and lichens grow very slowly.

Many people destroy desert plants without even knowing their important role. Many people see the desert and think that it is not such a significant life. Desert plants have developed various ways to reduce water loss and get as much water as possible.

Some plants have long roots to obtain water by penetrating deep into the soil, or branched roots to collect water at large area. Thanks to the thick waxy layer on the stems and leaves, they retain water and protect the tissues from strong sunlight. Some plants have spines instead of leaves to reduce water loss from the trunk. Many desert and semi-desert plants are succulents, and they store water in their swollen stems and leaves.

Some desert plants are "drought evaders." They exist as seeds, and grow when it rains. Their flowers quickly produce seeds and then die. There are “drought resistance” plants—perennials that have water storage capabilities or minimize water use.

Some desert and semi-desert plants:

Mormon Tea, Mormon tea. This medium-sized shrub grows up to 4 meters in height. Numerous green, jointed, bare branches with noticeable nodes. It actually has small, scale-like leaves and small flowers of male and female cones that bloom from February to April.

Fairy Duster,Fairy flower. Fairy Duster is a low, densely branched shrub. It is a member of the Fabaceae family , which includes acacias and mimosas. No thorns, this one perennial shrub provides food for many desert animals, birds and insects.

Forget-me-not family (Boraginaceae), genus Plagiobothrys is also called Popcorn flower. Spiraling stems and small open white flowers cluster at the top of the reel, looking like popcorn. There are more than 40 species of this plant. Cryptantha augustifolia, in the same family, has narrow leaves.

Desert Botanical Garden can give the most complete picture of plants of deserts and semi-deserts.