Desert

=//__ The Desert by: __**__ Dave, __**//**__ Andre, John. __**= = The story begins: The Sahara Desert!!! = = =
 * A vast desert of northern Africa extending east from the Atlantic coast to the Nile Valley and south from the Atlas Mountains to the region of the Sudan. During the Ice Age (about 50,000 to 100,000 years ago), the Sahara was a region of extensive shallow lakes watering large areas of vegetation, most of which had disappeared by Roman times. Introduction of the camel (probably in the first century a.d.) led to occupation by nomadic tribes who moved from oasis to oasis in search of water.The climate of the Sahara is in the 90-120* F in the day and drops dramaticly in the night, it gets close to 20 or below zero at night time, and that is the climate in the sahara desert. Its 99.9% of sand true fact. It gets 0 to 50cm of rain a year and can leave you lost for ever if not careful crossing it. the sessions like summer hot and dry, don't forget sandy too.

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 * [[image:http://enviro-map.com/maps/sahara_map.jpg width="550" height="288"]][[image:http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSUYblkNY0A8y2K9hBbqQQvN9z_uy4g0vlEtSIzhXeOIFMLllFxug width="540" height="285"]]


 * Identify the abiotic factors in your location and explain how they are related to the biotic organisms found in your biome

Desert Biome – //Sahara Desert//

 * The sahara desert is located in northern Africa and takes up more than half of the nothern Africa.
 * The sahara desert is located in northern Africa and takes up more than half of the nothern Africa.

4. Food Web
[] > Trophic Levels - Charity Begins at Home [|[General]]  - Wayne - wayne@sparkleberrysprings.com  @ [|05:40:07] >
 * [[image:http://www.world-builders.org/lessons/less/biomes/desert/hot-desert/hot_desert_py.gif width="407" height="477"]]
 * []
 * [[image:http://sparkleberrysprings.com/v-web/b2/images/t/trophic2c.png]]

There are many ways human activities can impact the desert biome, at least where there is an existing ecosystem. Development by mining or residential use is one way, as would be diverting the limited water supplies for agricultural use elsewhere. Humans can damage the desert ecosystem if they use the areas for polution, and People have been over hunting the aniamals, and globle warming.

>> >> -Farming of Average Land >> Farming of average land is causing desertification worldwide. Farmers are clearing average land, and using it which takes away the richness in the soil. People should let the average land replenish itself before farming. Desertification, 2005 >> >> -Destruction of Plants in Dry Regions >> Destruction of plants in dry regions is causing desertification to occur. People are cutting down tress to use them as a source of fuel. Once all these trees are cut down there is nothing to protect the soil. Therefore, it turns to dust and is blown away by the wind. Desertification, 2005 >> >> -Incorrect Irrigation in Arid Regions Causes a Build Up of Salt in the Soil >> Incorrect irrigation is commonly used in poorer areas. Farmers are using canal irrigation and other poor techniques because of the lack of water. This type of irrigation causes a build up of salt in the soil. Desertification, 2005 >> >> //2.// Human activity is also responsible for eliminating the forests that once covered much of the Middle East. Even the Sahara Desert, spanning 3,000 miles across northern Africa, is largely a human-made desert. The fertile soils there once grew the grain that supported the Roman Empire. But all that is gone and the desert is "normal" now. We expect a desert there, because that is how it was on the maps when we were children. We can stop it be lowering the human activite around the desert. >> >> "http://library.thinkquest.org/11353/ecosystems.htm" __http://library.thinkquest.org/11353/ecosystems.htm__ = "http://www.ciesin.org/docs/002-178/002-178.html" __http://www.ciesin.org/docs/002-178/002-178.html__ = = =
 * =The causes of desertification are,=
 * 1) A lot of Desertification happened in 2005
 * 2) -Overgrazing Overgrazing was not as large of a problem long ago because animals would move in response to rainfall. People would move with the animals so it prevented overgrazing in such areas. Now, humans have a steady food supply so they do not have to move about. Therefore, people use fences to keep their animals in one place which causes overgrazing. Desertification, 2001
 * 1) -Overgrazing Overgrazing was not as large of a problem long ago because animals would move in response to rainfall. People would move with the animals so it prevented overgrazing in such areas. Now, humans have a steady food supply so they do not have to move about. Therefore, people use fences to keep their animals in one place which causes overgrazing. Desertification, 2001