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Desert ephemerals are plants which are adapted to take advantage of the short wet periods in arid climates. Mud-flat ephemerals take advantage of short periods of low water. In areas subjected to recurring human disturbance, such as plowing, weedy ephemerals are very short-lived plants whose entire life cycle takes less than a growing season .
The diversity of climatic conditions, though quite harsh, supports a rich array of habitats. Many of these habitats are ephemeral in nature, reflecting the paucity and seasonality of available water. [1] Woody-stemmed shrubs and plants characterize vegetation in these regions. Above all, these plants have evolved to minimize water loss.
Plants absorb water from the soil, which then evaporates from their shoots and leaves; this process is known as transpiration.If placed in a dry environment, a typical mesophytic plant would evaporate water faster than the rate of water uptake from the soil, leading to wilting and even death.
How desert plants, animals and local economies adapt to the changes in an environment that’s already one of the most extreme on Earth will determine the future of this symbol of resilience.
It is a dioecious, leafless, phreatophyte (meaning its roots penetrate deep down to water near the water table) that is found in sandy deserts but not stony plains, in areas with access to ground water such as ephemeral rivers and paleochannels, where sand accumulating in the shelter of its stems can form hummocks up to 1000–1500 m 2 in area and 4 meters in height.
Areas with saline soils are made up of halophytic plants, and are of two are two main types - Salsola dendroides deserts with ephemeral herbs and grasses and Artemisia lercheana, and halophytic wormwood deserts of Artemisia szowitziana with therophytes, including species of Petrosimonia, Climacoptera, Salicornia, and Halimocnemis. [1]
Pages in category "Ephemeral plants" The following 53 pages are in this category, out of 53 total. This list may not reflect recent changes. ...
Increasingly frequent and severe heat waves in the Southwest are damaging some desert plants known for thriving in harsh conditions. Saguaro cacti and agave have both suffered in sweltering ...