Desert Research Papers

For my ecosystem of choice, I have chosen the desert. Deserts are believed to have been around for as long as Earth itself has been around. I chose this ecosystem because it is one of the more interesting ecosystems to me. I have also been through many deserts before which has given me much curiosity to learn more about them. I will go over very many different aspects and facts regarding deserts and their enviroments and surroundings. Deserts are located all throughout the world and cover about 20% of Earth. Mainly, the most deserts are located in the areas of the tropic of cancer and the tropic of capricorn. These two tropics are also latitudes that help define the area where the sun's angle at solar noon is closest to ninety degrees overhead

When getting around, this species hop to move around from place to place. These animals can hop up to speeds of thirty five miles per hour with a gait that helps them cover up to twenty five feet and can also leap up to six feet. Because females in the species are lighter and smaller than their male counterparts they are also faster. For kangaroos to protect theirselves, they can lean on their hind legs and throw punches and will also bite or claw if needed.(Red Kangaroo. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/red-kangaroo/). Next I will be talking about the fennec fox. This species is the smallest of all foxes on earth and is a mammal. They have huge ears that are as big as half a foot. Their ears help them to radiate heat to their bodies to help keep them cool. To go along with their ears, they have longer, thicker cream colored hair(as well as black tipped tails) to help them insulate on colder nights and also help them cooled off from the sun during the days. This species is mainly located in the northern half of Africa where they can be found in underground dens and roaming smaller communities. They usually range from 9.5 to 16 inches tall with their tails

This species is considered a omnivore that will usually eat plants as well as reptiles, eggs, rodents, and insects and they can go without water for longer periods of time.(Fennex Fox. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/fennec-fox/). The abiotic factors I will be talking about will be the temperature, the sand, and water. The temperature of deserts differ depending on location. If the desert is near the equator more so than the Antartic or Central Asia then temperatures are much warmer with temperatures in ranging from 20-25 degrees celcius all the way to 45 degrees celcius. If the desert is more so in the Antartic or Central Asia areas then temperatures will experience larger drops in temperatures especially in the winter