robot: Creating new article from Special:WantedPages |
improve details per standard format and improved wording |
||
| Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
{{short description| | {{short description|Biome with 250 mm of annual rainfall or less}} | ||
{{redirect|Xeric|the comic book grant foundation|Xeric Foundation}} | {{redirect|Xeric|the comic book grant foundation|Xeric Foundation}} | ||
[[File:Ain Errich1.jpg|thumb|300px|Desertic region at the [[M'Sila Province]], Algeria]] | |||
[[File:Biome_map_13.svg|thumb|right|250px|Extent of deserts and xeric shrublands]] | [[File:Biome_map_13.svg|thumb|right|250px|Extent of deserts and xeric shrublands]] | ||
'''Deserts and xeric shrublands''' are a [[biome]] defined by the [[World Wide Fund for Nature]].<ref name=wwf>{{CC-notice|bysa3}} {{cite web|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120425205057/http://wwf.panda.org/about_our_earth/ecoregions/about/habitat_types/selecting_terrestrial_ecoregions/habitat13.cfm|archive-date=2012-04-25|url=http://wwf.panda.org:80/about_our_earth/ecoregions/about/habitat_types/selecting_terrestrial_ecoregions/habitat13.cfm|title=Deserts and Xeric Shrubland Ecoregions|author=World Wide Fund for Nature|access-date=2019-05-29|url-status= | |||
'''Deserts and xeric shrublands''' are a [[biome]] defined by the [[World Wide Fund for Nature]].<ref name=wwf>{{CC-notice|bysa3}} {{cite web|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120425205057/http://wwf.panda.org/about_our_earth/ecoregions/about/habitat_types/selecting_terrestrial_ecoregions/habitat13.cfm|archive-date=2012-04-25|url=http://wwf.panda.org:80/about_our_earth/ecoregions/about/habitat_types/selecting_terrestrial_ecoregions/habitat13.cfm|title=Deserts and Xeric Shrubland Ecoregions|author=World Wide Fund for Nature|access-date=2019-05-29|url-status=dead}}</ref> [[Desert]]s and xeric ([[Ancient Greek]] {{lang|grc|ξηρός}} {{translit|grc|xērós}} 'dry') [[shrubland]]s form the largest terrestrial biome, covering 19% of [[Earth]]'s land surface area.<ref>{{cite book|last=Lockwood|first=M.|title=Managing Protected Areas: A Global Guide|page=199}}</ref> Ecoregions in this habitat type vary greatly in the amount of annual rainfall they receive, usually less than {{convert|10|in|mm|order=flip}} annually except in the margins. Generally evaporation exceeds rainfall in these ecoregions. Temperature variability is also diverse in these lands. Many deserts, such as the [[Sahara Desert|Sahara]], are hot year-round, but others, such as East Asia's [[Gobi Desert]], become quite cold during the winter.<ref name=wwf/> | |||
Temperature extremes are a characteristic of most deserts. High daytime temperatures give way to cold nights because there is no insulation provided by [[humidity]] and cloud cover. 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.<ref name=wwf/> Woody-stemmed shrubs and plants characterize vegetation in these regions. Above all, these plants have evolved to minimize water loss. Animal biodiversity is equally well adapted and quite diverse.<ref name=wwf/> | Temperature extremes are a characteristic of most deserts. High daytime temperatures give way to cold nights because there is no insulation provided by [[humidity]] and cloud cover. 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.<ref name=wwf/> Woody-stemmed shrubs and plants characterize vegetation in these regions. Above all, these plants have evolved to minimize water loss. Animal biodiversity is equally well adapted and quite diverse.<ref name=wwf/> | ||
| Line 11: | Line 13: | ||
{{Main article|Desertification}} | {{Main article|Desertification}} | ||
[[File:Sengi-landscape Nama Karoo.tif|thumb|right|The [[Nama Karoo]] in South Africa is a xeric shrubland that receives between {{convert|100|and|500|mm|in|0}} of rain a year.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.worldwildlife.org/ecoregions/at1314|title=Nama Karoo|publisher=WWF|access-date=2018-12-19}}</ref>]] | [[File:Sengi-landscape Nama Karoo.tif|thumb|right|The [[Nama Karoo]] in South Africa is a xeric shrubland that receives between {{convert|100|and|500|mm|in|0}} of rain a year.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.worldwildlife.org/ecoregions/at1314|title=Nama Karoo|publisher=WWF|access-date=2018-12-19}}</ref>]] | ||
The conversion of productive [[drylands]] to desert conditions, known as [[desertification]], can occur from a variety of causes. One is human intervention, including intensive agricultural tillage or [[overgrazing]]<ref>{{cite encyclopedia|first=C. Michael|last=Hogan|year=2009|url=https://editors.eol.org/eoearth/wiki/Overgrazing|title=Overgrazing|encyclopedia=Encyclopedia of Earth|editor-first1=Sidney|editor-last1=Draggan|editor-first2=Cutler J.|editor-last2=Cleveland|publisher=National | The conversion of productive [[drylands]] to desert conditions, known as [[desertification]], can occur from a variety of causes. One is human intervention, including intensive agricultural tillage or [[overgrazing]]<ref>{{cite encyclopedia|first=C. Michael|last=Hogan|year=2009|url=https://editors.eol.org/eoearth/wiki/Overgrazing|title=Overgrazing|encyclopedia=Encyclopedia of Earth|editor-first1=Sidney|editor-last1=Draggan|editor-first2=Cutler J.|editor-last2=Cleveland|publisher=National Council for Science and the Environment|location=Washington, D.C.}}</ref> in areas that cannot support such exploitation. Climatic shifts such as [[global warming]] or the [[Milankovitch cycle]] (which drives [[Glacial period|glacials]] and [[interglacial]]s) also affect the pattern of deserts on Earth. | ||
=== Woody plant encroachment === | === Woody plant encroachment === | ||
{{Main article|Woody plant encroachment}} | {{Main article|Woody plant encroachment}} | ||
Xeric shrublands can experience woody plant encroachment, which is the thickening of bushes and shrubs at the expense of grasses.<ref>{{Cite journal| | Xeric shrublands can experience woody plant encroachment, which is the thickening of bushes and shrubs at the expense of grasses.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Eldridge|first1=David J.|last2=Bowker|first2=Matthew A.|last3=Maestre|first3=Fernando T.|last4=Roger|first4=Erin|last5=Reynolds|first5=James F.|last6=Whitford|first6=Walter G.|date=July 2011|title=Impacts of shrub encroachment on ecosystem structure and functioning: towards a global synthesis: Synthesizing shrub encroachment effects|journal=Ecology Letters|language=en|volume=14|issue=7|pages=709–722|doi=10.1111/j.1461-0248.2011.01630.x|pmc=3563963|pmid=21592276}}</ref> 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]]. As a result, the shrublands' core [[ecosystem services]] are affected, including its biodiversity, productivity, and groundwater recharge.<ref>{{Citation|last1=Archer|first1=Steven R.|title=Woody Plant Encroachment: Causes and Consequences|date=2017|work=Rangeland Systems|pages=25–84|editor-last=Briske|editor-first=David D.|place=Cham|publisher=Springer International Publishing|language=en|doi=10.1007/978-3-319-46709-2_2|isbn=978-3-319-46707-8|last2=Andersen|first2=Erik M.|last3=Predick|first3=Katharine I.|last4=Schwinning|first4=Susanne|last5=Steidl|first5=Robert J.|last6=Woods|first6=Steven R.|series=Springer Series on Environmental Management |s2cid=133015720 |doi-access=free}}</ref> Woody plant encroachment can be an expression of land degradation.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Schlesinger|first1=William H.|last2=Reynolds|first2=James F.|last3=Cunningham|first3=Gary L.|last4=Huenneke|first4=Laura F.|last5=Jarrell|first5=Wesley M.|last6=Virginia|first6=Ross A.|last7=Whitford|first7=Walter G.|date=1990-03-02|title=Biological Feedbacks in Global Desertification|url=https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.247.4946.1043|journal=Science|language=en|volume=247|issue=4946|pages=1043–1048|doi=10.1126/science.247.4946.1043|pmid=17800060 |bibcode=1990Sci...247.1043S |s2cid=33033125 |issn=0036-8075|url-access=subscription}}</ref> | ||
==Ecoregions== | ==Ecoregions== | ||
{{see also|List of desert and xeric shrubland ecoregions}} | {{see also|List of desert and xeric shrubland ecoregions}} | ||
| Line 22: | Line 25: | ||
The World Wide Fund for Nature highlights a number of desert [[ecoregion]]s that have a high degree of [[biodiversity]] and [[endemism]]:<ref name=wwf/> | The World Wide Fund for Nature highlights a number of desert [[ecoregion]]s that have a high degree of [[biodiversity]] and [[endemism]]:<ref name=wwf/> | ||
* The [[Nama Karoo]] of Namibia has the world's richest desert fauna.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Cowling|first1=RM|first2=C|last2=Hilton-Taylor|year=1994|chapter=Patterns of plant diversity and endemism in southern Africa: An overview|pages=31–52|editor-first=BJ|editor-last=Huntley|title=Botanical diversity in southern Africa|publisher=National Botanical Institute|location=Pretoria, South Africa}}</ref> | * The [[Nama Karoo]] of Namibia has the world's richest desert fauna.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Cowling|first1=RM|first2=C|last2=Hilton-Taylor|year=1994|chapter=Patterns of plant diversity and endemism in southern Africa: An overview|pages=31–52|editor-first=BJ|editor-last=Huntley|title=Botanical diversity in southern Africa|publisher=National Botanical Institute|location=Pretoria, South Africa}}</ref> | ||
* The [[Carnarvon xeric shrublands]] of Australia are a regional center for endemism.<ref name=wwf/> | * The [[Carnarvon xeric shrublands]] of Australia are a regional center for endemism.<ref name=wwf/> | ||
* The [[Sonoran Desert|Sonoran]] and [[Baja California | * The [[Chihuahuan desert]] may be the most [[biodiversity|biodiverse]] desert ecoregion in the world.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Terrestrial ecoregions of North America : a conservation assessment|year=1999|last1=Ricketts|first1=TH|first2=E|last2=Dinerstein|first3=DM|last3=Olson|display-authors=et al|publisher=Island Press|location=Washington, DC|isbn=1-55963-722-6|page=44}}</ref> | ||
* The [[Sonoran Desert|Sonoran]] and [[Baja California desert|Baja deserts]] of Mexico and the United States are unusual desert communities dominated by giant [[columnar cactus|columnar cacti]].<ref name=wwf/> | |||
* [[Madagascar spiny forests]] | * [[Madagascar spiny forests]] | ||
* [[Atacama Desert]] | * [[Atacama Desert]] | ||
| Line 30: | Line 33: | ||
==See also== | ==See also== | ||
{{div col}} | {{div col}} | ||
* {{annotated link|Hydric soil}} | * {{annotated link|Hydric soil}} | ||
* {{annotated link|Mesic habitat|Mesic}} | * {{annotated link|Mesic habitat|Mesic}} | ||
| Line 46: | Line 48: | ||
==External links== | ==External links== | ||
{{commons}} | |||
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20120905010259/http://www.cas.vanderbilt.edu/bioimages/ecoframe-list.htm Index to Deserts & Xeric Shrublands at bioimages.vanderbilt.edu] | * [https://web.archive.org/web/20120905010259/http://www.cas.vanderbilt.edu/bioimages/ecoframe-list.htm Index to Deserts & Xeric Shrublands at bioimages.vanderbilt.edu] | ||
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20090129105807/http://www.xericworld.com/forums/ Xeric World] | * [https://web.archive.org/web/20090129105807/http://www.xericworld.com/forums/ Xeric World] Online community focused on the study of xeric plant species | ||
* [https://sand-boarding.com/desert-plants/ Desert Plants: List, Names and Adaptations] | |||
{{ | {{Palearctic desert and xeric shrubland ecoregions}} | ||
{{Biomes}} | {{Biomes}} | ||
{{Biodiversity of South Africa|ecoreg}} | {{Biodiversity of South Africa|ecoreg}} | ||
Latest revision as of 20:17, 23 February 2026
Deserts and xeric shrublands are a biome defined by the World Wide Fund for Nature.[1] Deserts and xeric (Ancient Greek ξηρός Template:Translit 'dry') shrublands form the largest terrestrial biome, covering 19% of Earth's land surface area.[2] Ecoregions in this habitat type vary greatly in the amount of annual rainfall they receive, usually less than 250 millimetres (10 in) annually except in the margins. Generally evaporation exceeds rainfall in these ecoregions. Temperature variability is also diverse in these lands. Many deserts, such as the Sahara, are hot year-round, but others, such as East Asia's Gobi Desert, become quite cold during the winter.[1]
Temperature extremes are a characteristic of most deserts. High daytime temperatures give way to cold nights because there is no insulation provided by humidity and cloud cover. 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. Animal biodiversity is equally well adapted and quite diverse.[1]
Degradation[edit | edit source]
Desertification[edit | edit source]
File:Sengi-landscape Nama Karoo.tif The conversion of productive drylands to desert conditions, known as desertification, can occur from a variety of causes. One is human intervention, including intensive agricultural tillage or overgrazing[4] in areas that cannot support such exploitation. Climatic shifts such as global warming or the Milankovitch cycle (which drives glacials and interglacials) also affect the pattern of deserts on Earth.
Woody plant encroachment[edit | edit source]
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. As a result, the shrublands' core ecosystem services are affected, including its biodiversity, productivity, and groundwater recharge.[6] Woody plant encroachment can be an expression of land degradation.[7]
Ecoregions[edit | edit source]
The World Wide Fund for Nature highlights a number of desert ecoregions that have a high degree of biodiversity and endemism:[1]
- The Nama Karoo of Namibia has the world's richest desert fauna.[8]
- The Carnarvon xeric shrublands of Australia are a regional center for endemism.[1]
- The Chihuahuan desert may be the most biodiverse desert ecoregion in the world.[9]
- The Sonoran and Baja deserts of Mexico and the United States are unusual desert communities dominated by giant columnar cacti.[1]
- Madagascar spiny forests
- Atacama Desert
See also[edit | edit source]
- Hydric soil
- Mesic
- Rain shadow – Leeward side of a mountain range
- Sagebrush steppe
- Shrub-steppe
- Temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands
- Xeriscaping — gardening or landscaping in xeric environments
- Xerocoles — animals adapted to xeric environments
- Xerophytes — plants adapted to xeric environments
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6
This article incorporates text available under the CC BY-SA 3.0 license. World Wide Fund for Nature. "Deserts and Xeric Shrubland Ecoregions". Archived from the original on 2012-04-25. Retrieved 2019-05-29.
- ↑ Lockwood, M. Managing Protected Areas: A Global Guide. p. 199.
- ↑ "Nama Karoo". WWF. Retrieved 2018-12-19.
- ↑ Hogan, C. Michael (2009). "Overgrazing". In Draggan, Sidney; Cleveland, Cutler J. (eds.). Encyclopedia of Earth. Washington, D.C.: National Council for Science and the Environment.
- ↑ Eldridge, David J.; Bowker, Matthew A.; Maestre, Fernando T.; Roger, Erin; Reynolds, James F.; Whitford, Walter G. (July 2011). "Impacts of shrub encroachment on ecosystem structure and functioning: towards a global synthesis: Synthesizing shrub encroachment effects". Ecology Letters. 14 (7): 709–722. doi:10.1111/j.1461-0248.2011.01630.x. PMC 3563963. PMID 21592276.
- ↑ Archer, Steven R.; Andersen, Erik M.; Predick, Katharine I.; Schwinning, Susanne; Steidl, Robert J.; Woods, Steven R. (2017), Briske, David D. (ed.), "Woody Plant Encroachment: Causes and Consequences", Rangeland Systems, Springer Series on Environmental Management, Cham: Springer International Publishing, pp. 25–84, doi:10.1007/978-3-319-46709-2_2, ISBN 978-3-319-46707-8, S2CID 133015720
{{citation}}: CS1 maint: work parameter with ISBN (link) - ↑ Schlesinger, William H.; Reynolds, James F.; Cunningham, Gary L.; Huenneke, Laura F.; Jarrell, Wesley M.; Virginia, Ross A.; Whitford, Walter G. (1990-03-02). "Biological Feedbacks in Global Desertification". Science. 247 (4946): 1043–1048. Bibcode:1990Sci...247.1043S. doi:10.1126/science.247.4946.1043. ISSN 0036-8075. PMID 17800060. S2CID 33033125.
- ↑ Cowling, RM; Hilton-Taylor, C (1994). "Patterns of plant diversity and endemism in southern Africa: An overview". In Huntley, BJ (ed.). Botanical diversity in southern Africa. Pretoria, South Africa: National Botanical Institute. pp. 31–52.
- ↑ Ricketts, TH; Dinerstein, E; Olson, DM; et al. (1999). Terrestrial ecoregions of North America : a conservation assessment. Washington, DC: Island Press. p. 44. ISBN 1-55963-722-6.
External links[edit | edit source]
- Index to Deserts & Xeric Shrublands at bioimages.vanderbilt.edu
- Xeric World Online community focused on the study of xeric plant species
- Desert Plants: List, Names and Adaptations
Template:Palearctic desert and xeric shrubland ecoregions Template:Biomes Template:Biodiversity of South Africa