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Geography - Hot deserts (Characteristics (Hot and dry, Less than 250mm…
Geography - Hot deserts
Characteristics
Hot and dry
Less than 250mm rainfall annually
Located along high pressure belts such as latitude 30
Along the tropics on the western sides of countries
Adaptations to physical conditions
Animals
Camels
Thick leathery pads
Allows to walk on hot sand
Flat wide feet
Allows camel to walk across sand dunes, preventing it from sinking
Hump
Stores fat allowing camel to travel for days
Thick fur
Insulates
Keep warm at night
Insulates against heat during day
High albedo colour of fur
Plants
Leaves reduced
Often into spines
Protects against animals eating plant
Reduces rate of evapotranspiration
Stem becomes a photosynthetic structure
To make up for reduced leaves
Phreatophytes
Extremely long roots
7-10m
Allows them to acquire moisture at or near the water table
eg, Joshua tree
Xerophytes
Stores as much water as possible
Reduces rate of evapotranspiration
eg, Barrel cacti
Living in the desert : Thar desert CASE STUDY
Development opportunities
*Mineral extraction
Valuable reserves of minerals and stone which can be used and exported across the world
Gypsum
Making plaster for construction industry
Making cement
Reserves of marble quarried near Jodhpur
*Energy
India's largest wind farm
Jaisalmer Wind Park constructed 2001
Extensive lignite coal deposits
Large oil field in Barmer District
Has potential to benefit local economy
*Farming
Commercial farming made possible by irrigation
Indira Ghandi Canal in 1958
Over 3500km2 irrigated by the same canal
Tourism
Popular tourist destination
10,000s / year many from Pakistan
Desert safaris, particularly in Jailsalmer
Annual Desert Festival
Locals benefit by accommodating, guiding or looking after and rearing camels
Challenges to development
*Extreme temperatures
Exceeds 50 degrees in Summer
Very hard to work outside, especially for farmers
Water shortages due to high rates of evaporation
Livestock / Cattle need shade
*Water supply
Water is scarce and demand is increasing
Population growing
Farming industry developed
Low annual rainfall
Strong winds cause high rates of evaporation
*Inaccessibility
Limited road network
Tarmac melts
Sand blows over roads
Most places only accessible by camel
Dangerously crowded buses
Issues related to biodiversity
Very little biodiversity due to harsh conditions
Little nutrients (very infertile soil as it is dried up) so fierce competition
Extreme heat affects plants and animals
Extremely high rates of evapotranspriation
Very little rainfall
Extreme range of temperatures
Desert Management techniques
Tree - planting schemes
Helps to bind soil
Small rock dams to trap rain water in gullies
Bunds are low stone walls the are planted in parallel to the slope gradient
Slows down flow of rainwater over baked ground, soaks in
Ponding banks
Low walls enclosing land to trap/store water