Hot Deserts

Question: Describe the climatic conditions

in the desert.
Answer: The climatic conditions in deserts are as follows:

It receives scanty rainfall, i.e. less than 25

cm/annum.
During the day time temperature is very
high and reaches 50 Celsius
The nights are cooler and the temperature
goes down to 10 Celsius.
There are no clouds and dry winds blow
here.
Question: Mention the different types of
deserts found in the world.
Answer: There are three types of deserts are:

Hot or Tropical deserts

Temperate deserts
Cold deserts
Question: How have plants adapted
themselves to desert life?
Answer: The plants have adapted themselves to desert life as follows-
 Trees and shrubs have long roots that go
deep into the soil in search of water.
Most plants do not have leaves and in their
place have thorns or thick waxy coating to
prevent water from evaporating.
Their leaves are spine-like which protects
them from animals.
The stems are thick and fleshy and store
water for plants.
Question: What makes the camel specially
adapted to the desert?
Answer: The camel has some special features which are:

It can store water in the lining of his

stomach and thus can survive without
water for days.
The camel can store food in its hump in
the form of fat.
The camel has thick padded feet which
helps it to walk in the sand.
Its eyelids protect its eyes during the
sandstorm.
Its small ears and nostrils prevent sand
from entering into them.
 It has tough, strong, lips and jaws, which
help it to eat thorny bushes and cactus
without hurting itself.
Question: What are the main occupations
of the people of the desert?
Answer: The main occupations of the people living in desert
are- Animal rearing, trading, farming and mining.

The Temperate Zone

Question: List the different grasslands
found in different zone and mention their
location.
Answer: Following are the different grasslands found in different zones:

The Prairies in North America

The Steppes in Russia
The Pampas in South America
The Veldt in South Africa
The Downs in Australia
Question: Explain the climate of the
temperate grasslands.
Answer: The climate of the temperate grasslands is:

The grasslands of the Northern and the

Southern hemisphere experience different
climates.
The northern grasslands have a continental
climate because they are found in the
interior of the continents and are very hot
in summers and very cold in winters.
The southern grasslands have a moderate
climate because they are found near the
 coasts of the continents and the climate is
pleasant throughout the year.
Question: Describe the plant life found in
the temperate zone.
Answer: The plant life found in the temperate zone:

The grasslands are covered with grasses

and some trees are found here which are
grown by farmers only.
Grasses are tall in Prairies because rainfall
is more while short in Steppes because of
influencing climate.
In spring the grasses are green, in summer
they are brown, in autumn they are dry and
in winter they die. Alfalfa is the most
common grass here. It grows very quickly.
Question: What are the different types of
human activities carried out in the
temperate zone?
Answer: The human activities carried out in the temperate zone are:

Nomadic herding
Extensive farming
Livestock Ranches
Question: What are gauchos? What do
they do?
Answer: The cowboys in South America who are skilled
horsemen are called gauchos. They round up cattles on
enormous farms called Estancias.