desert plants did not determine the shape of the terrain arid.Paints landscapes in the desert depend more from the soil than by vegetation.A special feature is the extreme cover his thinning.The bulk of the plant - a drought resistant species (extreme xerophytes).
way to keep moisture plants hot desert climate
to cope with the lack of moisture the plants help some devices that prevent evaporation: much reduced leaf area and pubescence, the film on the surface of the leaves large thickness.This film is called the cuticle;it is completely waterproof.Sometimes desert plants are immature leaves in the form of tiny flakes.Functions performed Green leaf stalks that are rich in chlorophyll.
To overcome the long summer drought, the plants shed their leaves in the desert with the onset of heat.This phenomenon is very common in the arid climate.
original way to cope with drought meaty and succulent desert plants (they are called succulents).They thickened stems or leaves.Equipped with a special water-bearing tissue, plants store up water in the aerial part.Outside the covering fabric with a thick film, the cuticle protects them from the strong fumes.These plants in the desert are usually very few stomata, which also reduces moisture loss.
In the desert there are species, it is not able to tolerate drought.These include ephemeroids and ephemera.They grow only springtime, when the desert still humid and not very hot, but with the onset of summer heat their aerial part dies.
There is another type of desert plant - plant pumps, which are called phreatophytes.Even the most intense heat does not affect the bright green color of the leaves and flowers disclosed.The reason is that the roots phreatophytes very deeply penetrate into the soil (up to 30 m) and reach the ground water.Camel thorn - an example of this.
leading role in the desert belongs to the woody plants.These include shrubs, shrubs and even small trees (eg saxaul).
Families desert plant species, and the dependence of vegetation on soil type
desert vegetation belong to the Compositae, legumes, cruciferous and cereals.There are even sedge desert plants.However, the most common of them belong to the family Chenopodiaceae.It grows well in this climate as wormwood.
The composition of the desert there are sandy, rocky, saline and clay.Soil conditions significantly affect the character of the vegetation.For desert plant is very important mechanical composition of the soil, which is reflected in the water supply.The clay content of desert plants only the amount of water that comes from the atmosphere with precipitation.
Plants tropical deserts
in tropical and subtropical deserts of Arabia and Africa is dominated by perennial grasses and shrubs xerophilous, but you can watch and succulents.It is devoid of vegetation and sand dunes covered with a salt crust area.
in tropical deserts adjacent to the ocean (Western Sahara, Atacama, Mexico, California) growing plants belonging to the succulent type.
Salt marshes are covered with tropical plants such as halophilic and succulent bushes and shrubs (such as tamarisk, Nitraria) and annual halophytes (eg solyanka, Sweda).
tropical desert plants belonging to phytocenoses oases major river valleys and deltas, are significantly different from other species.For valleys of the rivers of tropical zone characterized by palm trees, oleanders.
moisture deficit - a serious problem for all the plants of the desert, so the process of evolution they have learned to adapt to the prolonged drought.
