Desert+Conservation

Welcome to the Desert Conservation Page! By Elise M. and Nick T.



Human Impact: Humans living in the desert have a large impact in both negative and positive ways. Humans take part in many activities that hurt the desert. One of these is off-roading, which is when people drive ORV's (Off-road vehicles) in restricted areas of deserts. Animals that live in the sand can be hurt. ORV's kill off vegetation where the tracks go. Where there is a lack of vegetation, there is a lack of animals because they don't have food. Humans also have a positive impact on the desert. They have created parks and preserves such as the Mojave National Preserve to help protect the desert and everything in it. One major problem in the desert is desertification. This means that some of the world semiarid areas are turning into desert at an alarmingly fast rate. It is happening because of too many farms being built. The hooves of animals on the soil encourage wind and water erosion. One solution to this problem is to protect the land, and not allow too many farms, and to make sure that the farms that do exist use proper practices like the use of manure as fertilizer. People could also plant grasses and other plants to help decrease erosion. This will help the land stay as a semiarid climate. Another problem in the desert is Global Warming or Global Climate Change. Though you may not be aware that this has to do with the desert, it does. In hot deserts, higher temperatures produce an increasing amount of wildfires, which alter deserts by getting rid of slow growing plants and replacing them with fast growing ones. In cold deserts, global warming is simply melting them. This is happening because of greenhouse gases being released in the atmosphere, and it is creating holes in the ozone layer. Here are some ways to slow down the process of Global Warming: 1. Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle. This means everything from taking shorter showers to recycling pop cans. 2. Skip the car, ride a bike or take the bus. Cars produce lots of Carbon Dioxide into the air. 3. Plant a cactus. (Or any other type of plant.) Plants absorb the Carbon Dioxide in the air.

Click here for Biomes Home. Click here for Desert Home. Click here for Desert Facts. Click here for Desert Fiction. Click here for Desert Food Web. Click here for Desert Bibliography.