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Desert Survival. How do animals and plants survive in the Sonoran Desert, Arizona , USA ? A presentation supplied by North Chadderton School, Oldham, Lancashire, England. Desert Survival. Does a barrel cactus contain water ?
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Desert Survival • How do animals and plants survive in the Sonoran Desert, Arizona , USA ? • A presentation supplied by North Chadderton School, Oldham, Lancashire, England
Desert Survival • Does a barrel cactus contain water ? • Yes, the Barrel Cactus does store water, but it is not free flowing. The water is stored in special tissue. • Jackrabbits and other animals can survive in very hot conditions by eating this moist pulp.
Desert Survival • Some people have been known to survive by eating this moist pulp. However, certain species of cactus can contain toxins harmful to humans. • In addition, Arizona Native Plant Law prohibits damaging and destroying barrel cacti and other native plants
Desert Survival • The white-winged dove has a plump body which gives it a high mass-to-surface area ratio, which minimises moisture loss . • The plump body also insulates them from extremes of temperature. .
Desert Survival • The white-winged dove eats dry seeds, and the fruit provided by cacti. • They can go without water for four or five days, and fly up to 10 miles to find water.
Desert Survival • The white-winged dove survive even if their body weight is reduced by 20% by dehydration, and they are able to drink salt water. • They are able to rehydrate quickly, and suck up water like a mammal, unlike most birds.
Desert Survival • Rodents can sometimes kill a Saguaro cactus , by chewing at its moist pulp. • The Red-Tailed Hawk helps to reduce the rodent population around the cactus, by killing the rodents for food .
Desert Survival • During the summer, temperatures can reach over 110oF. • The jackrabbit is able to release heat through its long ears and legs.
Desert Survival • Following rain showers the Ocotillo plant grows leaves along its thorny stems. • During a shortage of rain the leaves turn brown and fall. This conserves water, by reducing evaporation.
Desert Survival • The green bark of the Ocotillo take over the functions of the leaves during heavy periods of drought. • The process of photosynthesis is able to continue.
Desert Survival • The Saguaro provides home and protection for birds and other small animals. • It provides food for its neighbours. • It can store large amounts of water in its fleshy tissue
Desert Survival • The Desert Mariposa unfolds its orange coloured blossoms only in the Spring. • During the rest of the year the foliage is dead. • It EVADES the action of the desert heat.
Desert Survival • The diet of the Peccary consists of shrubs, grass, mesquite beans , cacti and various roots and tubers. • They are able to eat cactus, with the prickly spines ! They also eat nuts and berries. • They are able to extract sufficient moisture from this diet for several days at a time.
Desert Survival • The Peccary chooses its location carefully, for shelter. • They use twisting courses of desert washes with the shade provided by the trees. • Living in large cavities provided by erosion of the banks, also offers suitable hiding places.
Desert Survival • The signature plant of the Sonoron Desert : it does not exist anywhere else in the world • Tall column-shaped cactus with pleated stems. Can grow to 40' (12m) . • Produces white flowers in Spring. • Has a shallow root system, and can absorb gallons of water during a single rainfall.
Desert Survival • The pleats in its trunk allow for expansion, so that it can hold tons of water , to last through the periods of low rainfall . • The waxy, tough coat minimises loss of water by evaporation. • Can live up to 200 years. • Smaller saguaros live under 'nurse' plants, which provide shelter during the early years.
Desert Survival • Cavities in the stems are made by woodpeckers, and they use them as nests. • Once the woodpeckers move out these homes are soon adopted by other visitors, such as elf owls, flycatchers, purple martins, and brown bats. • Damage can occur sometimes by sudden frosts, lightning, high winds.
Desert Survival • Seeds swallowed by animals and birds pass through their digestive system unharmed. When deposited under trees and shrubs they are given a chance to germinate. • Harvester ants gather seeds by the million, and store them in an underground food reservoir, too deep for the seeds to sprout. • Fortunately, the Saguaro produces enough seeds to more than compensate for this loss !
