Question

Describe the flora and fauna found in the Sahara desert.

Answer 1

Hint:
To answer this question, you must recall the conditions present in a desert. A desert is an arid, water scarce region which experiences very low rainfall and thus supports very less life forms. The flora and fauna found here must be such so that they can survive the harsh conditions of the desert.

Complete Step by Step Answer:
Due to the scarcity of water, the Sahara desert contains almost no flora. Out of the Mediterranean vegetation which covered the Sahara Mountains before they turned into a desert, only laurel and cypress trees are found in the region.
Plants in the region have adapted to the harsh climate to reduce evaporation and increase water absorption
Some examples of fauna present in the Sahara desert are acacias, tamarisks, roses of Jericho, some isolated bushes like tamarisks and acacias in bed rivers. The rare rainfall occurring can bring about some meagre meadows like Acheb.

Date palm trees, introduced by Arabs, are a requisite for the existence of humans in the oasis. Dates are a very energetic food source, their trunks are used to make beams, and its leaves are used to make baskets, mats, ropes and covers for huts.

The emblematic animals of the desert are camels, addaxes, gazelles, doncas, fennecs and sand cats.

Note:
The adaptations made by plants in Sahara desert include very small leaves, very long roots that can reach the most humid layers of soil, increased water accumulation in the tissues and leaves covered with wax to minimize loss of water, loosening their roots and letting themselves be driven in air so as to absorb the atmosphere humidity. Some plants lose their leaves when it is arid and make them grow back when the surroundings are humid.