Ecosystem: Deserts

Facts On File, Inc., New York

Ecosystem: Deserts
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Everything you ever wanted to know about deserts is packed into the 214 pages of this book. Illustrated with drawings, maps, and color photographs, it describes where deserts occur and how they are formed. This demonstrates very clearly that deserts are not all the same. There are hot deserts, cold deserts, coastal deserts, and the driest desert of all is in the interior of Antarctica - despite the layer of ice, miles thick, that covers the surface.

Deserts explains how desert plants and animals manage to survive with so little water. It describes how the camel can go for days without drinking and then drink more than 100 liters of water in 10 minutes. This is contrasted with the explosive heat death that awaits humans caught without water in the desert heat.

People have always lived in deserts. The book describes the cultures that have developed in the deserts of Africa, the Middle East, Asia, and America. It outlines the history of these regions and ways they may develop in years to come.
Deserts is written for high school students and undergraduates, but its lively language, clear explanations of concepts and processes, and fascinating stories make it a book anyone might value.