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Explore the fascinating world of desert plants, from phreatophytes with long roots to halophytes coping with high salt levels. Learn how these plants survive in harsh conditions and discover their unique adaptations. Discover the challenges and opportunities in desert land use, including mining, filming, agriculture, and tourism. Dive into case studies like Uluru and the Bedouin community to understand the interaction between humans and the desert ecosystem.
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Desert plants • Phreatophytes: have long roots to reach the water table, e.g. mesquite bush • Ephemerals: Remain as seeds until rain falls when they germinate, flower and seed within weeks • Succulents: Store water in fleshy leaves and stems in the wet season, during the dry season they close stomata during the day to reduce water loss and have thick waxy leaves which reduce water loss e.g. cacti
Small leaves and spines: This reduces water loss, some grasses roll to trap water or have wide canopies to reduce water loss by evaporation or photosynthesise on their stem so manage without leaves in the dry season e.g. palo verde • Adaptations to being eaten: some have spines, whilst others give off poisonous substances • Halophytes: These plants can cope with high levels of salt by secreting it onto their leaves or by uptaking a large amount of water
Land use in the desert • Mining • Filming • Agriculture • Tourism (two case studies Uluru and Bedouin)
