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The desert, Deserts occur on the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn due to…
The desert
Animals, plants and adaptations
Camel
Can go a week without water. Store fat in hump for energy. Feet are wide so they can walk easily on the sand. Thick lips to eat cacti without feeling pain. Ears covered with hair to stop dust and eyelids to stop dust
Fennec fox
Large ears to help dissipate heat. Thick fur allows them to stay warm in the cold night. Sandy fur is camouflage. Thick fur on feet to insulate against heat of the sand
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Saguaro cactus
Grows slowly to conserve energy. Can store up to 9 tonnes of water. Can lose 82%of water before dying of dehydration. Spikes to stop predators
Sahel Desert
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Causes
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Population is now 500 million in the Sahel and expected to double by 2050, causing strain on supplies and resources
Overgrazing by cattle, over cultivation by farmers. Both reduce amount of vegetation and nutrients in the soil meaning it wont grow any more vegetation, causing soil to become infertile.
Rainfall can cause soil erosion as the topsoil is washed away and nutrients and fertile soil are leached. When the soil becomes hard and cracked, more rainfall further erodes it and water runs over the hard surface instead of being absorbed
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Great Western Desert
Oppurtunities
Tourism: 37 million people visit Las Vegas per year. Sailing and other aquatic sports at Lake Mead and Powell bring in 2 million people. Lots of National Parks and attractions in the city and in the desert for tourists. Brings in lots of money for locals and the economy
Mining in Arizona for uranium, copper, zinc, lead and coal. Large copper mine in Ajo. Brings in income for locals and the economy
Farming in the Coachella Valley produces many fruits and vegetables by using irrigation from underground water. 80% of Colorado water goes to agriculture even though it only makes up 10% of the economy
Energy production: 25 oil sites, only 100 employees but it produces 50 million dollars of oil. Sonoran Solar project will produce energy for 100,000 homes. HEP at Lake Mead produces renewable energy for locals
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Challenges
Droughts can occur and mean less irrigation for crops, meaning less income, less for attractions and cities will cause loss in tourism income and les water overall for locals
Mineral extraction and energy production releases emissions of co2 and can harm wildlife as well. there are conflicts between and use between locals on what it should be used for. mineral extraction can also contaminate the air and water supplies
Pollution due to high number of tourists, and lots of traffic is frustrating and bad for the environment and locals. causes stress on water supply and infrastructure
Lake Mead water levels dropped to a record low. Water transfer schemes causing local wildlife to be harmed
Extreme weather with average temperatures of 27 C mean working outside is hard for farmers and water evaporation and shortages occur
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Roads are not very well surfaced due to lack of people living in the Desert, however Route 70 and Route 66 and new airports allow for more amount of people to live in these places and for development to occur
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The uses of dams
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Challenges and problems
Silts and sands can get trapped in dams, meaning water leaving the dam is colder, meaning the ecosystem changes and some species are harmed or extinct
Sandbanks in the river are starved of sediment and smaller meaning some species (such as Kanab snails) are unable to live there and have declined
Deserts occur on the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn due to the high pressure preventing clouds from forming and therefore no rain