LIFE IN THE DESERT

 DESERT: 

 Any large, extremely dry area of land with scanty vegetation. 

It is one of Earth’s major types of ecosystems, supporting a community of distinctive plants and animals specially adapted to the harsh environment.

MAJOR CHARACTERISTICS OF A DESERT

• Extreme Temperature Condition (Hot/Cold)
• Less Vegetations
• Low humidity
• Sandy or Rocky Terrain
• Arid Region (Absence of Rain-Too Dry)
• Unique Flora and Fauna
• Limited Human Settlement:

Major Deserts of the World:

DESERT

SAHARA DESERT

The Sahara Desert is the largest hot desert in the world, stretching across North Africa and covering an area of approximately 8.5 million square kilometers.

Algeria, Chad, Egypt, Libya, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Niger, Sudan, Tunisia, and Western Sahara are the 11 nations that share the Sahara desert.

The Sahara Desert contains gravel plains and upland plateaus with exposed rock surfaces.

In some places, the height of these rock surfaces can reach over 2500 metres.

CLIMATE

• The Sahara desert has a harsh, scorching (severe hot) and dry climate.
• The wet season is brief. There are clear skies throughout the day.
•  In this case, moisture evaporates more quickly than it accumulates.
• Daytime temperatures can reach 50°C, warming the bare rocks and sand, which then radiate heat into the surrounding area.
• Near-freezing temperatures are observed during the night.
• As sandy or rocky surface heats up rapidly and cools down quickly in the absence of sunlight. Absence of plants also increases the temperature. 

FLORA AND FAUNA

• Cacti, date palms, and acacia are among the plants that can be found in the Sahara desert.
• Oasis are lush islands surrounded by date palms that are found in a few places.

• The main animal species found here are camels, hyenas, jackals, foxes, scorpions, various kinds of snakes, and lizards.

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HUMAN LIFE

• Despite its harsh climate, many different groups of people live in the Sahara Desert and engage in a variety of activities there.
• The Bedouins and the Tuaregs are two of these. These are nomadic tribes that raise animals like horses, camels, goats, and sheep.
• These animals supply them with milk, and skins from which they make leather for belts, slippers, and water bottles; the hair is used for mats, carpets, garments, and blankets.
• To shield themselves from sandstorms and hot winds, they cover themselves in thick robes. The colonised people are supported by the oasis in the Sahara and the Nile Valley in Egypt. The cultivation of date palms is done where water is available.
• They also grow beans, wheat, barley, and rice. Egyptian cotton, a type of fabric famous across the world, is grown in Egypt.
• The Sahara desert is constantly changing as a result of the discovery of oil, a resource that is highly sought after on a global scale, in Algeria, Libya, and Egypt.
• Iron, phosphorus, manganese, and uranium are some additional significant minerals that are present here. The Sahara is experiencing a change in its cultural landscape.
• Trucks take the place of camels in the salt trade. Foreign tourists often use Tuaregs as their guides.
• Nomadic herdsmen are ending their lives in greater numbers in order to work in oil and gas operations in the city.

The Cold Desert – Ladakh

MAJOR CHRACTERISTICS

• Low Temperatures
• Sparse Vegetation
• Unique Fauna (Arctic foxes, polar bears, caribou, and various bird species)
• Permanently frozen ground (Permafrost)
• Strong Winds in high altitude areas
• Less humidity (Colder the air gets, less water vapour it can hold)

• On the eastern side of Jammu and Kashmir, in the great Himalayas, is the cold desert region of Ladakh.
• It is encircled by the Karakoram (second highest mountain range on Earth) Range to the north and the Zanskar Mountains to the south.
• Ladakh is traversed by numerous rivers, with the Indus being the most significant. Ladakh is home to many glaciers, including the Gangri Glacier.
• In Ladakh, the altitude varies from about 3000 metres in Kargil to more than 8000 metres in Karakoram.
• The area has a very cold and dry climate as a result of its high elevation. At this altitude, the air is so thin that the sun’s heat is verynoticeable.
• Summertime temperatures range between slightly above zero degrees and well below -30 degree celsius at night.
• Ladakh receives little rain, as little as 10 cm annually, because it is located in the Himalayas’ rain shadow.
• The region is known for its chilly winds and warm sunshine.

Flora and Fauna

• The vegetation is thin due to the intense dryness.
• There are a few shrubs and grassy patches for animals to graze on.
• In the valleys, willow and poplar groves can be seen. Trees of fruits like apples, apricots, and walnuts blossom in the summer.
• Ladakh is home to robins, redstarts, Tibetan snowcocks, ravens, and hoopoes. Some bird species migrate.
• Ladakh is home to a variety of animals, including canines of certain species as well as wild yaks, sheep, goats, and sheep. Livestock is raised for milk, meat, and leather.

People

The majority of people in Ladakh are either Muslims or Buddhists.

In fact, a number of Buddhist monasteries with their distinctive “gompas” dot the Ladakhi landscape.

The monasteries of Hemis, Thiksey, Shey, and Lamayuru are well-known.

Barley, potatoes, peas, beans, and turnips are some of the summer crops found in Ladakh.

People celebrate and hold ceremonies because the winter weather is so harsh. In addition to working at home and in the fields, women also own and operate small businesses.

The Ladakh region capital, Leh, has good air and road connections for easy transportation.

With numerous visitors arriving from the interior of India and abroad, tourism is a significant industry in that region.

Modernisation is changing how people live their lives. However, the people of Ladakh have learned to coexist in harmony and balance with nature over the years.

Resources like fuel and water are utilised carefully and reverently in Ladakh due to their scarcity.