desert
Sign in to savethumb|upright=1.5|Sand dunes in the [[Rub' al Khali ("Empty quarter") of Arabia]] thumb|upright=1.5|alt=A human with a group of camels in a desert|A camel shepherd near Marrakesh
AI overview
A desert is a large, dry land area that receives very little rainfall and has sparse vegetation, often featuring sand dunes and extreme temperature changes. Deserts are important habitats that support unique wildlife adapted to harsh conditions and have historically been home to human communities, such as nomadic herders with camels.
AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.
Wikidata facts
- Subclass of
- landform
- Part of
- natural environment
- Image
- Libya 4608 Idehan Ubari Dunes Luca Galuzzi 2007.jpg
Show 4 more facts
- P910
- Category:Deserts
- P5008
- Wikipedia:Vital articles/Level/4 (2022)
- P2354
- list of deserts
- P1424
- Template:Deserts
via Wikidata · CC0
Article
27 sectionsContents
- Etymology
- Major deserts
- Defining characteristics
- Water
- Classification
- Polar desert
- Biological desert
- Morphology
- Weathering processes
- Features
- Dust storms and sandstorms
- Ecology and biogeography
- Flora
- Fauna
- Human relations
- History
- Natural resource extraction
- Farming
- Solar energy capture
- Warfare
- In culture
- Deserts on other planets
- See also
- References
- Bibliography
- Further reading
- External links
thumb|upright=1.5|Sand dunes in the [[Rub' al Khali ("Empty quarter") of Arabia]] thumb|upright=1.5|alt=A human with a group of camels in a desert|A camel shepherd near Marrakesh
A desert is a landscape where little precipitation occurs and, consequently, living conditions create unique biomes and ecosystems. The lack of vegetation exposes the unprotected surface of the ground to denudation. About one-third of the land surface of the Earth is arid or semi-arid. This includes much of the polar regions, where little precipitation occurs, and which are sometimes called polar deserts or "cold deserts". Deserts can be classified by the amount of precipitation that falls, by the temperature that prevails, by the causes of desertification or by their geographical location.