Biomes
Xeric Shrubland
Desert and Tundra Biomes
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Deserts and xeric shrublands form the largest terrestrial biome, covering about 19 percent of Earth's land surface, and receive on average less than 250 millimeters of rain a year with evaporation that outpaces rainfall. The biome is defined by woody-stemmed shrubs and other plants adapted to minimize water loss, ranging from the scorching Sahara to the cold-winter Gobi, with sharp swings between hot days and cold nights because of the lack of humidity and cloud cover. Its sparse, drought-resistant vegetation and ephemeral habitats support animal life equally adapted to extremes and to seasonal water availability.
Facts
Climate
Annual Precipitation (mm)Ecoregions of this habitat type usually receive less than 250mm of rain annually except at their margins; 200mm is a representative figure below that ceiling, not a single measured site. Typical Low Temperature (C)-40C is the winter figure Wikipedia gives for the Gobi Desert, a cold desert forming part of this biome; hot deserts and xeric shrublands elsewhere never approach this cold, see the paired high figure cited to a separate source. Typical High Temperature (C)45C is the daytime summer high Wikipedia gives for hot deserts generally (Sahara-type); this biome also covers cold deserts such as the Gobi, which never approach this heat, see the paired low figure cited to a separate source. Cross-Tradition Connections
Sources
1. Xeric Shrubland (Wikipedia)
WikipediaArticle body, climate description paragraphQuote, Article body, climate description paragraph
Ecoregions in this habitat type vary greatly in the amount of annual rainfall they receive, usually less than 250 millimetres (10 in) annually except in the margins.
2. Gobi Desert (Wikipedia)
WikipediaClimate section, wind-driven winter-to-summer temperature range sentenceQuote, Climate section, wind-driven winter-to-summer temperature range sentence
These winds may cause the Gobi to reach −40 °C (−40 °F) in winter to 45 °C (113 °F) in summer.
3. Desert (Wikipedia)
WikipediaArticle body, radiative heat loss and hot-desert daytime temperature sentenceQuote, Article body, radiative heat loss and hot-desert daytime temperature sentence
In hot deserts, the temperature during daytime can exceed 45 °C (113 °F) in summer and plunge below freezing point at night during winter.
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