Just Deserts Co. Youll want seconds! By: Claire, Natalie, Makenna Biomes Location Features of the Desert Landscape: Deserts are arid or dry regions with less than 10 inches of rain a year They are large areas with bare soil and low vegetation cover 10% of deserts are made up of sand, most have rocky areas with large stones and gravel Vegetation is mostly ground- hugging shrubs and short woody trees (very rare in hot and dry deserts) Climate annual avg precipitation: 4.06 inches avg summer temps range from 100F (day) to 75F (night) avg winter temps range from 60F (day) to below freezing at night spring and fall more moderate Climate seasonal information better to visit in the fall or spring, when temps are more moderate wildflower season in spring (from Feb to June) unique features of Joshua Tree National Park meeting place of Sonoran Desert, Mojave Desert, and the Little San Bernardino Mountains Joshua trees located in the Pacific flyway of migratory birds Plants & animals Gila Monster Bumpy, dry skin Holds moisture and protects animal Barrel Cactus Stores water in pulp tourist attractions Mountain Biking ATVing Wildlife explorations Ice Cream tour Significant Environmental issue Deserts are extremely hot and dry creating problems such as: Difficulty to maintain life for humans, animals, plants Water scarcity Higher temperatures increase wildfire risks Nuclear waste often dumped in deserts Sources tree/california/united-states/usca1645