Threats to the Desert biome
· Global warming is increasing the incidence of drought, which dries up water holes.
· Higher temperatures may produce an increasing number of wildfires that alter desert landscapes by eliminating slow-growing trees and shrubs and replacing them with fast-growing grasses.
· Irrigation used for agriculture could possibly lead to salt levels in the soil that become too high to support plants.
· Off-road vehicles, when used irresponsibly, can cause irreparable damage to desert habitats.
· Oil and gas production may disrupt sensitive habitat.
· Nuclear waste may be dumped in deserts, which have also been used as nuclear testing grounds
· Higher temperatures may produce an increasing number of wildfires that alter desert landscapes by eliminating slow-growing trees and shrubs and replacing them with fast-growing grasses.
· Irrigation used for agriculture could possibly lead to salt levels in the soil that become too high to support plants.
· Off-road vehicles, when used irresponsibly, can cause irreparable damage to desert habitats.
· Oil and gas production may disrupt sensitive habitat.
· Nuclear waste may be dumped in deserts, which have also been used as nuclear testing grounds
Endangered Species
Fennec Fox: The fennec fox lives in the North African Sahara desert, right up to the Sinai and Arabian Peninsula. Weighing around 3 to 3.5 pounds, the fennec fox is only 15 inches long and has large ears that keep it cool and also alert it to the sound of oncoming prey. Fennec foxes prefer to live on the sand dunes, digging an underground burrow and sleeping in it during the hottest part of the day. They survive on a mixed diet of fruits like berries along with bird eggs, lizards and rodents. As fennec foxes cannot be easily viewed in desert areas that are not sandy, this animal is trapped for commercial purposes, to be displayed and sold to tourists.
Pronghorn: The pronghorn lives in the deserts, grasslands and foothills of the western United States, southwestern Canada and Mexico. It weighs approximately 80 to 150 lbs and is 3.5 to 5 feet in length. According to the Desert Animals website, though pronghorns subsist on vegetation like sagebrush, shrubs, grasses and cacti, they are opportunistic and thrive on other available sources of vegetation too. In 1924 pronghorns were believed to be near extinction, with only around 20,000 animals in existence, compared to the over 35 million pronghorns that existed in the 1800s. From then on the pronghorn population gradually increased, though the numbers do decrease occasionally, and fluctuate based on manifold factors including illegal hunting, severe droughts and harsh winters, lack of vegetation and water, and loss of habitat due to agriculture and urbanization.
Caracal: The caracal, also known as the African golden cat, is Africa's least known cat, as its observance in the wild is rare. The caracal is found throughout the deserts of Africa and across Asia from Turkey to North West India and Arabia. This animal weighs between 20 to 40 pounds and is a little over 3 feet long with a height of 1.5 feet. The caracal feeds by stalking small mammals like rodents, hares, hyraxes and small deer, as well as reptiles and invertebrates. They are also experts at catching birds by leaping high up in the air and numbing the prey with their paw. The causes for the endangered status of the caracal are various; this animal is a source of livelihood for a major commercial trade, and is hunted for its skin and meat. Loss of habitat and prey base is another reason for the declining caracal population.
Fear of Climate Change
Their is a fear of climate change in the deserts. Global warming will cause the desert to become to hot and dry to support life. Human exploitation is also destroying the soil. The future climate change of the deserts would not be able to support life.