User:Dsmcrew

Desert Ecosystem
This ecosystem is dry and rains often. It covers about 1/5 of the Earth's surface. The temperature in the morning is from 20oC-49oC, but at night, temperature might drop up to -18oC.

Biotic Components
(i) Producers:

These are shrubs, especially some grasses, bushes and few trees. Son lower plants like xerophytic mosses and lichens may also be present.

(2) Consumers:

Reptiles, insects, nocturnal rodents, birds, and camels are the main consume! They are able to live under xeric conditions.

(3) Decomposers:

Deserts have poor vegetation with a very low amount of dead organism matter. The decomposers are fungi and bacteria, most of which are thermophilic.

Abiotic Components
Rainfall:

One of the most distinct abiotic factors in a desert is the amount of rain that falls per year. Typically, deserts receive less than 20 inches of rain per year. This means that animals and plants looking to survive in the desert must be able to live with little water for extended periods of time. For example, cacti have evolved to store water in their stems to help them through dry spells.

Temperature:

Deserts typically go through huge fluctuations in temperature during a 24-hour period. Because there is little moisture, deserts lack the insulating protection of both humidity and cloud cover. A desert that is hot during the day may drop to well below zero degrees at night, once the heat of the sun has left. Organisms that cannot adapt well to rapid temperature fluctuations have trouble surviving in the desert.

Soil:

The type of soil in an ecosystem determines what plants can grow, which in turn defines which animals can survive. Desert soil types can vary greatly, but most have excellent drainage. This means that the soil is loose instead of compacted. When rain does fall in the desert, it seeps quickly into the soil. Rapid drainage can have the side effect of washing nutrients out of the soil.

Light:

Because deserts typically don't have many shade-giving plants, almost all of their surface area is given full exposure to direct sunlight during the day. Extreme light exposure limits the types of plants that can grow in the desert, and makes it difficult for many animals to see. Imagine being surrounded by light-colored soil on a very bright day. It might be blinding. This may be one reason that so many animals in the desert are nocturnal.

Life In The Desert
The nteraction of living and non-living things are balanced. For example, a snake having a home under a rock, a spider uses the sand to protect itself,and many more.

Energy Cycle
Just like the normal cycle, it strats with the producers, then eaten by the first consumer and so on.

Referrences
http://grmsbiomes.pbworks.com/Abiotic%20Factors%20-%20Desert

http://www.preservearticles.com/biotic-components-of-desert-ecosystem.html