Abiotic and Biotic Factors of the Middle East Desert
The Middle East Biome is not different from other biomes in the respect that is composed of abiotic (non-living) and biotic (living) elements.These elements interact with each other to create the Middle East deserts.Without them there wouldn't be a Middle East desert. Together biotic and abiotic factors define the Middle East deserts.
Abiotic Factors
Abiotic factors are non-living elements of an ecosystem and are essential for the ecosystem's survival. In the Middle East deserts the abiotic factors would be soil, temperature, and rainfall.
Sand
The soil of the desert is known as sand. Sand is high in mineral content but lacks much organic matter, meaning the soil itself doesn't contain many biological organisms. The sand of this biome isn't compact and as a result, when it rains, the rain seeps in quite quickly. The downside of this is that the rain may wash away some useful minerals in the sand.
Temperature
Most Middle East deserts such as the Sahara Desert are humid and dry. In the Sahara as much of the rest of the deserts there is the subtropical north and dry tropical south. In the Sahara subtropical regions have the annual daily temperature of 68 degrees Fahrenheit. In the dry tropical places the temperature is usually 63.5 degrees Fahrenheit. Different temperatures are host to different types of organisms.
Rainfall
Most deserts receive less than 300 mm. of rain a year. The Middle East deserts are no exception. The Sahara Desert has regions that receive about 5 inches of rainfall a year! Since water is scarce plants, such as cacti, have adapted by finding ways to conserve water. Some plants have shorter life spans as a result. Rainfall is key in making an environment suitable for different types of organisms.
Biotic Factors
Biotic factors are living creatures in an ecosystem and are a very large piece of an ecosystem, and without biotic factors an ecosystem would not be able to survive. Some biotic factors in the Middle East deserts are hawks, kit fox, scorpions, lizards, cacti, .
Hawks
Hawks have sharp vision and are very good hunters. In the hawk species, the female hawk is usually larger than the male. A hawk's diet includes a variety of smaller animals. Some of these small animals may include snakes, lizards, and any other type of small animals that are found on the ground.
Scorpions
Scorpions have a tail with a venom-injecting barb and eight legs. Scorpions do not have bones instead they have an exoskeleton. Scorpions are found in most parts of the world. There are over 2,000 different species of scorpions. They feed on insects, and other insect-like creatures. Some species of scorpions can have over 100 offspring. All scorpions are venomous, they use their venom kill in self defense or for food. Young scorpions can also inject you with venom.
Lizards
Lizards are reptiles, and their ancestors are the dinosaurs. They have been on the earth for about 200 million years. There are about 5000 different species of lizards. They are in every continent except for Antarctica.
Cacti
Cacti have blossoms, thick stems, spikes, and odd shapes. To keep hydrated they store large amounts of water in their stems. They range from the three-inch to forty feet in hight. Cactus grow throughout deserts.
