Nature System In Deserts

All deserts have very low rainfall, and sometimes there is no rain for several years.Deserts are also hot places. In some deserts, temperatures are up to 60 degree centigrade have been recorded. In most deserts it is hot during the day but very cold at night. During the day, the land heats up very quickly; at night, the heat escapes quickly, too.

The local winds in a desert are usually hot, dry and dusty. They make life very uncomfortable. These winds have local names. In the northern Sahara they are called the Khamsin in the south, the harmattan. In the Mediterranean, they are known as the sirocco. Sometimes there are whirlwinds; sometimes there are sandstorms. The wind in a sandstorm is so strong that the sand is blown all over the place.

Desert plants have few leaves and thick, fleshy stem. These plants are usually spiny. The thick stem store water the spines prevent desert animals from eating the plants. The roots of desert plants spread very far in search of water. However, they do not usually go very deep, so that when it rains, the roots can absorb the water before it soaks into the ground.

In some coastal areas, dry land winds blow throughout the year. They do not carry much moisture, so no rain falls and land becomes a desert. The Namib Desert in Namibia is a coastal desert.