A fog desert is a type of mild desert where most precipitation comes in the form of fog drip. Due to scarce rainfall, the primary source of liquid water comes from condensing moisture on plant or animal surfaces.
Distribution and Climate edit
Fog deserts are part of a mild desert climate, where the general environment is dry and little moisture is provided by precipitation in the form of fog and condensation. Primarily, fog deserts are found either nearby Pacific coasts, or at high altitude where the water can be found in droplets suspended within the air. Notable fog deserts include the Atacama Desert, located in coastal Chile and Peru, the Arabian Peninsula coastal fog desert, the Namib fog desert in Namibia, and the Baja California Desert in Mexico.[1]
Native Wildlife edit
Local flora and fauna in fog deserts face unique challenges in survival due to the scarce resources of water and fertile earth. As a result, the most commonly found organisms in these environments being lichen, succulents and beetles which have adapted to the local ecosystem. Although the area that fog desert organisms inhabit is very limited, the variation of species is still quite abundant.[2][3][4]
Many species of lichen and succulents can be found within a small patch of soil. This is caused by the environmental factors leaving small amounts of properly habitable land for local flora and fauna. This leads to small patches of overpopulated growth, followed by a wealth of space without any growth.[5][6]
Larger species do live in fog deserts, some of which include animals such as antelope, jackals, meercats, and in some situations, elephants.
Characteristics of Flora and Fauna in Fog Deserts edit
Because of the abundance of species living in the patches of growth along the water, many species have developed adaptations in order to survive in a densely populated environment with little moisture. This is key in the small scale differences contributing to larger gain by taking advantage of the elements surrounding the organism and helping it last among the competition. Some adaptations of beetles located in the Namib desert include that of the head-stander beetle. This species has developed characteristics that allows them to more effectively catch fog when basking, a behavior also only seen in these select species. This reflects how many species have adapted to make the most of their surroundings in a damp environment using the least amount of effort possible.[7][8]
In order to preserve water, succulents have water retaining cells that aid in the growth of thick stems normally found on their leaves. It was found that the species varied largely with the amount of water readily available to the plant, by providing either a thicker, waxier leaf or a thinner, more exposed leaf for when water preservation is less important.[9]Another interesting note is that some desert cacti have deep roots in order to capture the moisture from the earth where it is held longer than the surface, where evaporation can quickly dry any water.[10]
Ecological Function edit
Several species are unique to fog deserts, and contribute to ecological diversity as well as providing insight into human developments through their methods.One which species, the head-stander beetle, uses its shape to allow dew to form onto its back and roll down towards its mouth for drinking.[2] Several types of bacteria, such as Thielaviopsis basicola have adjusted to have periods of dormancy followed by near immediate reactions to moisture wherein the fungus begins breaking down litter once fog moisture condenses on the surface.[11]
See Also edit
External Links edit
ORIGIN OF THE FOG IN NAMIB DESERT IN DRY SEASON
- ^ Eckardtd F.D., Soderberg B., Coope L.J., Mullera A.A., Vickeryd K.J., Grandine R.J., Jacke C., Kapalangaf T.S., Henschelf J. (2013), Deserts of the World: Namib Desert: 50 years of research in a hyperarid desert. Journal of Arid Environments 93: 7-19.
- ^ a b Copeman, N.; Cowley, C.; Lalley, J.; Viles, H. (2006). "The Influence of Multi-Scale Environmental Variables on the Distribution of Terricolous Lichens in a Fog Desert". Journal of Vegetation Science.
- ^ Jannes Muenchow, Simon Hauenstein, Achim Bräuning, Rupert Bäumler, Eric Frank Rodríguez and Henrik von Wehrden (2013). Soil texture and altitude, respectively, largely determine the oristic gradient of the most diverse fog oasis in the Peruvian desert. Journal of Tropical Ecology, 29, pp 427-438
- ^ Edmund C., Matimati, Ignatious, Hedderson, Terry A., Musil, Charles F. (2013), Root niche partitioning between shallow rooted succulents in a South African semi desert: implications for diversity Plant Ecology 214: 1181-1187.
- ^ Frossard, A. et al. (2015) Water regime history drives responses of soil Namib Desert microbial communities to wetting events. Sci. Rep. 5, 12263; doi: 10.1038/srep12263
- ^ Stanton, D. (2015) Small scale fog-gradients change epiphytic lichen shape and distribution. The Bryologist 118:241-244
- ^ Jamilton, W.; Henschel, J.; Seely, M. (2003). "Fog Collection by Namid Desert Beetles". South African Journal of Science.
- ^ Green, T., Lange, O, Meyer, A., Zellner, H. (2006), Water relations and carbon dioxide exchange of epiphytic lichens in the Namib fog desert. Flora 202: 479-487.
- ^ B., I. (1992). "Life Strategies of Succulents in Deserts". Cambridge University Press.
- ^ Edmund, C.; et al. (2013). "Root niche partitioning between shallow rooted succulents in a South African semi desert: implications for diversity". Plant Ecology.
{{cite journal}}: Explicit use of et al. in:|first=(help) - ^ Jacobson K, van Diepeningen A, Evans S, Fritts R, Gemmel P, et al. (2015) Non-Rainfall Moisture Activates Fungal Decomposition of Surface Litter in the Namib Sand Sea.