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Although deserts have severe climates, some plants still manage to grow. Plants that can survive in arid deserts are called xerophytes, meaning they are able to survive long dry periods. Such plants may close their stomata during the daytime and open them again at night. During the night, temperatures are much cooler, and plants will experience ...
Deserts and semi-deserts are home to ecosystems with low or very low biomass and primary productivity in arid or semi-arid climates. They are mostly found in subtropical high-pressure belts and major continental rain shadows. Primary productivity depends on low densities of small photoautotrophs that sustain a sparse trophic network.
The desert climate or arid climate (in the Köppen climate classification BWh and BWk) is a dry climate sub-type in which there is a severe excess of evaporation over precipitation. The typically bald, rocky, or sandy surfaces in desert climates are dry and hold little moisture, quickly evaporating the already little rainfall they receive.
Spadefoot toads are generally found in arid climates, where they spend the majority of their lives underground, generally beneath perennial ponds, creek beds, or other moisture-retaining areas. During years of sufficient rainfall, the toads surface to breed and lay eggs.
Xeric shrublands can experience woody plant encroachment, which is the thickening of bushes and shrubs at the expense of grasses. [5] This process is often caused by unsustainable land management practices, such as overgrazing and fire suppression, but can also be a consequence of climate change.
The African spurred tortoise and the leopard tortoise occur in arid areas and several aquatic species of terrapin, such as the African helmeted turtle, occur in swamps and marshes. [7] Among the 19 genera of amphibians found in Sudan there is one endemic species of frog. [8] 634 species of bird have been recorded in Sudan. [9]
Somalia contains a variety of mammals due to its geographical and climatic diversity. Wild animals are found in every region. Among them are the lion, [2] Somali cheetah, reticulated giraffe, hamadryas baboon, civet, serval, African bush elephant, bushpig, Soemmerring's gazelle, antelope, ibex, kudu, dik-dik, oribi, reedbuck, Somali wild ass, Grévy's zebra, and hyena.
Its dry, arid climate and geography stand in contrast to the verdant Mesoamerica of present-day central Mexico into Central America [2] to the south and east, and the higher, milder "island" of Oasisamerica to the north. Aridoamerica overlaps with both.