The Gobi Desert

The Gobi Desert

DefinitionsHabitat: The place where an organism or a biological population lives or normally occurs.Ecosystem: A system that includes all living organisms in an area as well as its physical environment functioning together as a unit.Biosphere: The part of the earth where living things exist.Abiotic factors: A non-living chemical or physical factor in the environment.Biotic Factors: A factor created by any living component within an environment in which the action of the organism affects the life of another organism.The climate conditions The Gobi desert has a climate of extremes.The temperature is known to shift as much as 60 degrees in only 24 hours.In winter the temperature can be as low as minus 40 degrees.In the Summer the temperature can be as high as 122 degrees.The desert only receives an average of 7.6 inches of rainfall per year.As the desert is extremely hot during the day some of the animals go underground to live in holes or burrows. The wild onion: This is used for both medicin and medicine and food, it is crucial in Spring for helping revive Winter starved herds.

The Goyo Plant: These plants taste like a cross between an unripe banana and celery, but many think these plants are poisonous.

The sauxal plant: It is the most dominant and resilient of the Gobi desert plants.

The Mongolian nettle: These plants are the Mongolian equvilent of the nettle and they give a long lasting sting if touched.

Gobi animals The jerboa: These are the smallest animals living in the Gobi. They are built like kangaroos and can leap as much as 10 feet.

The golden eagle: These birds can live for about 18 years in the wild. They prey on jerobas.

The snow leopard: They roam across the Gobi in great numbers, but they are now on the list of endangered species.

The Gobi bear: It also has become one of the most seriously endangered species on Earth.

10 interesting facts about the ecosystem.Because of Desertification the Gobi desert is slowly expanding southwards into China.The plants that live in the Gobi desert can survive on little water but have long tap roots to gather water.Some of the unique trees in the desert store water behind their bark.The camels in the Gobi desert have wide flat feet to prevent them from sinking.The temperature can shift 60 degrees either up or down in only 24 hours.It is not uncommon to see frost or snow on top of the dunes.Most rain is blocked by the Himalayas.The landscape is mostly bare rock due to the winds.There is much less sand in the Gobi desert compared to others.The desert is broken up into five ecozones because its so big.What to wear to the Gobi desertCover your arms and legs to allow for temperature regulation.Wear sunglasses at all times to protect your eyes.Protect your head by wearing a turban.

The food chain

Environmental threatsGlobal warming is having a harsh affect on the Gobi dessert.Desertification is spreading rapidly. The snow and ice have been melting and thinning.Some of the biggest lakes in the Gobi desert are drying up.Because of the collapse of socialism in 1990 people now rely heavily on natural resources and this is putting pressure on these natural resources.