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1
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- Arid = 10 in. rain
- BWk = Mid-latitude desert
- BWh = Subtropical desert
- Semiarid Steppes = 10-25”
- BSk = Mid-latitude steppe
- BSh = Subtropical steppe
- German terms:
- Wüste = “desert”
- Heiss = “hot”
- Kalt = “cold”
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2
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- Temperature: Low latitude location and lack of cloudiness permits a high
insolation and noc-turnal terrestrial radiation.
- Precipitation: Deserts’ lack of moisture has three components:
- Rainfall is scarce
- Rainfall is unreliable
- Rainfall is intense
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3
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4
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5
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6
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- Vegetation is typically xerophytic: drought-resistant, waxy, hard-leafed,
and adapted to aridity and low transpiration loss.
- Along stream channels, plants called phreatophytes, or “water-well
plants,” have roots that penetrate to great depths for the water they
need.
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7
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8
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- Deforestation (rangeland, firewood)
- Decline in vegetation (overgrazing)
- Loss of crop diversity (monoculture)
- Loss of animal population
- Soil erosion
- Soil nutrient and organic matter loss
- Substantial declines in crop yield
- Compaction and crusting soils
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Notes
