Deserts and xeric shrublands

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Xeric scrublands
)
Desertic region at the M'Sila Province, Algeria
Extent of deserts and xeric shrublands

Deserts and xeric shrublands are a

Gobi, become quite cold during the winter.[1]

Temperature extremes are a characteristic of most deserts. High daytime temperatures give way to cold nights because there is no insulation provided by

ephemeral in nature, reflecting the paucity and seasonality of available water.[1] Woody-stemmed shrubs and plants characterize vegetation in these regions. Above all, these plants have evolved to minimize water loss. Animal biodiversity is equally well adapted and quite diverse.[1]

Degradation

Desertification

The Nama Karoo in South Africa is a xeric shrubland that receives between 100 and 500 millimetres (4 and 20 in) of rain a year.[3]

The conversion of productive

Milankovitch cycle (which drives glacials and interglacials
) also affect the pattern of deserts on Earth.

Woody plant encroachment

Xeric shrublands can experience woody plant encroachment, which is the thickening of bushes and shrubs at the expense of grasses.

ecosystem services of the shrublands are affected, including its biodiversity, productivity and groundwater recharge.[6] Woody plant encroachment can be an expression of land degradation.[7]

Ecoregions

The World Wide Fund for Nature highlights a number of desert ecoregions that have a high degree of biodiversity and endemism:[1]

See also

  • Desert – Area of land where little precipitation occurs
  • Hydric soil – soil type
  • Mesic – Habitat with a moderate supply of moisture
  • Rain shadow – Leeward side of a mountain range
  • Sagebrush steppe – Grassland ecosystem
  • Shrub-steppe
     – Ecoregion characterized by semi-arid grassland and/or shrubland plains
  • Temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands – Terrestrial biome
  • Xeriscaping — gardening or landscaping in xeric environments
  • Xerocoles — animals adapted to xeric environments
  • Xerophytes — plants adapted to xeric environments

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g  This article incorporates text available under the CC BY-SA 3.0 license. World Wide Fund for Nature. "Deserts and Xeric Shrubland Ecoregions". Archived from the original on 2012-04-25. Retrieved 2019-05-29.
  2. ^ Lockwood, M. Managing Protected Areas: A Global Guide. p. 199.
  3. ^ "Nama Karoo". WWF. Retrieved 2018-12-19.
  4. ^ Hogan, C. Michael (2009). "Overgrazing". In Draggan, Sidney; Cleveland, Cutler J. (eds.). Encyclopedia of Earth. Washington, D.C.: National council for Science and the Environment.
  5. PMID 21592276
    .
  6. .
  7. ^ Cowling, RM; Hilton-Taylor, C (1994). "Patterns of plant diversity and endemism in southern Africa: An overview". In Huntley, BJ (ed.). Botanical diversity in southern Africa. Pretoria, South Africa: National Botanical Institute. pp. 31–52.
  8. PMID 34261239
    .

External links