About the Sahara Desert
The Sahara Desert is the world’s largest hot desert and third largest desert in the world. The Sahara is well known for it's very harsh climate, and the organism living there ability to adapt to the environment. The Sahara covers 3,500,000 square miles and covers most of North Africa, around 10% of Africa as a continent. It covers sections of Egypt, Morocco, Algeria and Libya. Over time, the landscape of the Sahara has been changed due to the wind. Over 25% of the desert is made up of sand dunes, some of these dunes can reach up to 150 meters in height. To the west of the desert is the Atlantic ocean, to the north are the atlas mountains and the Mediterranean sea, and bordering the east of the Sahara is the red sea.
WORD DEFINITIONS:
ABIOTIC AND BIOTIC
Abiotic factors are non living matters that live in an ecosystem while biotic factors are living organisms that live in a ecosystem. An abiotic factor in the Sahara Desert is the soil. The soil in the desert is very dry, due to the lack of rainfall which is around 250mm a year. An example of a Biotic factor in the desert is the Dromedary Camel. The Dromedary camel can travel up to 161 kilometers in the desert sun, without needing water. Another abiotic factor in the Sahara are the mountains. One of these mountains in the Sahara is named Emi Koussi, which peak is the highest across the mountains, reaching up to 3,000 meters in height.
ECO SYSTEM, BIOMES AND BIOSPHERE.
An ecosystem is a particular area in which living organisms live together. The Sahara ecosystem is made up of many different living organisms, including the animals and plants that have adapted to the deserts harsh environment. Biomes are communities of fauna and flora that have naturally occupied an environment. For example, grasslands, forests, deserts and oceans are all different biomes. A biosphere is a place able to support life and where organisms are able to live, for example Earth.
LEAVES, STEM, ROOTS AND STOMATA
The stem is the main trunk of the plant. They are used to carry water and vital minerals to help the plant stay healthy and grow. The stem also provides structure for the plant, and hold the leaves up to the sun so they receive light for the plant to photosynthesize. The plants roots are used to absorb water and nutrients from the ground. They also are used to keep the plant in place, and to store food for the plant. Leaves are made up of many different layers, these layers help protect the leaf from bacteria and pests. The veins on the leaves are used to transport food, water and minerals to the plant. The Stomata on a plant helps control the gases that enter and leave the plant, and take in carbon dioxide for the plant to photosynthesize.