What is desert

In , Peveril Meigs divided desert regions on Earth into three categories according to the amount of precipitation they received. In this now widely accepted system, extremely arid lands have at least 12 consecutive months without rainfall, arid lands have less than millimeters of annual rainfall, and semiarid lands have a mean annual precipitation of between and millimeters.

Arid and extremely arid land are deserts, and semiarid grasslands generally are referred to as steppes. Distribution of non-polar arid land Click on image to see full map. If they don't survive, that could affect species such as the yucca moth, which lays its eggs inside the Joshua tree flower.

Desert bird species could also be in danger from climate change, as heat waves lead to lethal dehydration. Paradoxically, the effort to reduce planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions by expanding solar energy has also created some tensions for desert habitats. In the Mojave, the arrival of the Ivanpah solar thermal plant created concerns about how the facility would affect threatened desert tortoises , and conservationists are working to ensure solar energy projects like these can coexist with wildlife.

Other land use changes also threaten to degrade desert habitats. The downsizing of the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument poses a threat to some of the bee species that live in the area, while the prospect of a border wall between the U.

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It has nothing to do with arid, dry land, or with cookies and ice cream. Middle English deserte , from Anglo-French, from feminine of desert , past participle of deservir to deserve. Our team at The Usage has selected the best humidifier of See more words from the same century. Accessed 11 Nov. More Definitions for desert. Nglish: Translation of desert for Spanish Speakers. Britannica English: Translation of desert for Arabic Speakers.

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free! Log in Sign Up. Save Word. Definition of desert Entry 1 of 4. Definition of desert Entry 2 of 4. Definition of desert Entry 3 of 4. Definition of desert Entry 4 of 4. Synonyms for desert Synonyms: Noun 1 barren , desolation , heath , no-man's-land , waste , wasteland Synonyms: Verb defect from , rat on Synonyms: Noun 2 castigation , chastisement , comeuppance , correction , discipline , nemesis , penalty , punishment , wrath Visit the Thesaurus for More.

Choose the Right Synonym for desert Verb abandon , desert , forsake mean to leave without intending to return. Where does the phrase just deserts come from?