Question

Give reasons:
There is scanty vegetation in the deserts.

Answer 1

Hint: A desert is considered to be an arid region with either extremely high or low temperatures. This type of vegetation consists of widely scattered trees and bushes.

Complete Step by Step Answers:
This type of vegetation is mostly found in the areas where annual rainfall is below 30 cms. It consists of open stunted forests with widely scattered trees and bushes all over the region.

The vegetation of a region usually depends on two factors, one is climate and the other is soil.
- The climatic condition in the desert is either very warm and dry or too cold and dry, making it unsuitable for the growth of plants in this region.
- The desert comprises mostly 90 - 95 percent of sandy soil in hot deserts which has very high calcium carbonate and phosphate with very low content of nitrogen and organic matter, while in the cold desert it is covered with snow for most of the year, thus making it infertile to grow plants.
- The trees in these regions grow up to a height of only 15 m, whose trunks have a thick base and contorted form with taproots and short branches. Plants such as Acacias, Euphorbias, wild date palm usually grow in these areas.

Thus, due to low rainfall, dry climatic conditions and infertile soil there is scanty vegetation in the deserts.

Notes: This type of vegetation covers the entire Thar Desert. It was once a forested area but scanty rainfall and overgrazing have cleared the vegetation completely.