Sahara African hare. The Sahara is the largest desert on the planet. Sahara desert in Mauritania

The territory of several states attractive for tourists covers that vast part of Africa (about 30%) where the Sahara Desert is located. Among these countries, Egypt, Tunisia, Morocco, Algeria, Mauritania stand out.

Sahara on the world map

The hottest desert in the world from north to south - 800 - 1,200 kilometers and from west to east - 4,800 kilometers.

According to various sources, the area of ​​Es-Sahra el-Kubra is 8.6 - 9.1 million square meters. kilometers. Scientists say that every year its area increases by several kilometers to the south.

Borders of the Sahara:

• the western part is bounded by the Atlantic Ocean,
• the northern region is framed by the Atlas Mountains, the Mediterranean Sea,
• eastern border runs along the Red Sea,
• the southern sand dunes form the transition to the Sudanese savannah.

The stereotypical view that the Sahara is the endless monotonous sands of the desert is erroneous. There are several regions:

Climate of the Sahara Desert

According to scientific research, the Sahara became a desert natural area 5 million years ago. The following features are typical for the climate:

• percentage of relative humidity - 30-50;
• high evaporation;
• the presence of 2 types of climate: the northern part is dry subtropical, the southern part is dry tropical.

The northern region is characterized by a number of features:

• a high rate of annual temperature fluctuations is recorded;
• the temperature in the desert during the day and at night also has a significant difference;
• winters are cool, summers are hot;
• average temperature level in winter is +13°С, in summer + 37.2°С;
• the rainiest months are August (frequent thunderstorms), December-March;
• spring is accompanied by multi-day hot winds, leading to dust storms.

The southern zone is characterized by:

• hot summer period,
• in winter, mild, dry weather, average temperatures do not differ from subtropical ones;
• minimum -15°C is stated;
• temperature indicator + 50 ° С maximum;
• rains are insignificant, more often in summer.

desert animals

The most arid regions have a poor diversity of animal life. The main areas of habitat are the central highlands. Most representatives of the animal world are unique in their kind, as they have adapted to the harsh conditions of the desert, often leading a nocturnal lifestyle.

Interesting. It is believed that the ancient Egyptians used the image of a horned viper to depict the hieroglyph "phi" due to the similarity of the sound it makes and the pronunciation of the hieroglyph. Snake charmers still use this species in their performances.

• Dromedary or one-humped camels are domesticated, serve for riding, transportation of goods. The hump, which stores a supply of fat, allows them to be hardy.
• The horned Saharan viper is a dangerous nocturnal venomous snake. It emits a continuous hiss to scare off enemies.
• Dorcas gazelle is an animal 65 centimeters high, weighing 25 kilograms, developing a speed of about 80 km / h. It survives due to its sand-colored camouflage coloration, as well as its ability to feed on dew and water-conserving plants. Feeling the approach of a predator, she instinctively jumps back, which serves as a warning to other animals.
• The mendes or addax antelope has a special structure of paws, which, on the one hand, helps to move on sandy soil, and on the other hand, it makes it difficult to avoid predators. At the moment, the habitat, the number of livestock is significantly reduced.
• Ostriches of the Sahara are isolated as a separate subspecies of African ostriches. Features of ostriches provide them with the opportunity to live in the desert: overcoming long distances at great speed (70 km / h), a high level of hearing and vision, powerful legs that help fight off predatory animals.
• Cold-blooded monitor lizards are armed with a very dangerous poison, which is used to hunt small animals, insects. Adapted to the heat, they become aggressive in the cold.
• Fenech is a miniature nocturnal fox with unusually large ears that help to avoid overheating.
• The dung beetle, also known as the Holy Scarab, rolls a ball of ungulate droppings with the help of its hind legs, hides it in underground voids, feeds and lays eggs.

Interesting. The ancient Egyptian god Khepri was depicted with the head of a scarab beetle. According to legend, he owned the secrets of the sun and rolled it across the sky.

How to get to the Sahara

The path of a tourist depends on the territory of which state of the African continent is located any attraction of the Sahara Desert.

Moscow-Tunisia

Advice. It would be best to choose a flight to Djerba-Zarzis Airport, as it is located closer to the Sahara.

Moscow - cities of Egypt

Moscow - cities of Morocco

Moscow - Algiers

The cost of the flight is approximately 227 USD - 230 USD.

Moscow - Mauritania

The gateway to the Sahara is the city of Douz, located on the border of the oasis. On its outskirts there is a symbolic key that opens the way for wanderers. Tourists are offered excursions:

• on a camel to the nearest dune (20 USD);
• visiting a remote oasis among the dunes of Ksar Gilan (thermal waters) (168 USD);
• the ruins of an ancient Roman settlement, the drying up salt lake Chott el-Jerid with the opportunity to see mirages, the Sahara Explorer program (2 days) - 98 USD;
• Jeep trip - 120 USD.

Interesting. Guided tours of the Star Wars filming locations.

Egypt offers travelers not only to relax on the beach, but also to get acquainted with the sights of the desert (approximate cost):

• Giza Valley, pyramid complex, Sphinx (35 USD);
• numerous oases from which you can go for a walk on a camel, by car, on foot (tourist group) (25 USD - 35 USD);
• the city of Siwa, an ancient fortress, the Temple of Alexander the Great, the Crystal Mountains (5 days, 300 USD);
• the oasis of Bahariya introduces the life of the Bedouins (155 USD - 259 USD);
• the city of Muta, the Ethnographic Museum, the Dakhla oasis, the Nile Valley, the opportunity to conduct a health course using thermal springs (300 USD - 400 USD).

Travelers in Morocco are attracted by:

• Draa Valley with oases, red dunes, ancient fortresses (300 USD);
• On an off-road vehicle or camel, you can see the virgin ergs of Shigaga (200 USD).

Many famous Hollywood films were filmed in the valley, including "Gladiator", "Pearl of the Nile", "The Mummy".

Almost the entire state is located in the Sahara. Tourists are recommended to see:

• rock paintings of the Tassil mountains;
• Mzab Valley, 5 cities with unique architecture.

Tours to Algeria cost from 1000 USD.

Mauritania

Despite the tense political situation, desperate tourists are attracted by the Adrar plateau. The not exactly studied formation of Gu-Er-Rishat, which has a diameter of 50 kilometers, became famous after a picture from space. The cost of the tour to Mauritania is 3030 USD - 3380 USD.

Fans of outdoor activities will appreciate the journey through the Sahara.

I propose to take a walk through the endless expanses of sand Sahara and learn a lot about this mysterious desert. So, are you with me?

The Sahara is the largest desert on Earth and occupies 30% of the entire area. Africa. And this is half the territory of Russia, or the area of ​​Brazil, the fifth largest country in the world.

There are ten countries in the Sahara: Egypt, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Western Sahara, Mauritania, Niger, Morocco, Chad and Sudan.

And do you know that "Sahara" in Arabic language means "desert"? Locals also call it the "Sea without water", because 5-10 thousand years ago there were many lakes, rivers and tropical forests.

Interestingly, the dunes of the Sahara move at a speed of a few centimeters to hundreds of meters per year, while reaching a height of 250 m.

In some places in the desert you can find oases - reservoirs with luxurious green vegetation around. It is here that villages, and sometimes entire cities, are arranged. Every year the number of oases is constantly decreasing.

The average daily temperature in the desert is +40 ° C, but during the day the sand sometimes warms up to +80 ° C. And at night the temperature can drop sharply to -15.

Rain in the Sahara is a very rare holiday. But frequent sandstorms caused by hot desert winds. Over the past 50 years, the number of sandstorms has increased by 10, and in some places even 40 times.

Now 2.5 million people live in the Sahara. However, earlier it was more lively here. Caravans of merchants often crossed the Sahara, carrying gold, copper, slaves, and ostrich feathers. Just imagine, crossing the desert and back took a year and a half!

This is the mysterious Richat Structure, or "Eye of the Sahara" 50 km in diameter. Scientists still do not know the causes of this amazing formation.

The roots of local plants go deep into the earth by 15-20 meters. In this way, hardened plants extract water for themselves in order to retain it for a long time and use it sparingly.

Fauna of the Sahara has 4000 species.

Camels can live without water for up to two weeks, and without food for up to a month. These amazing animals can smell moisture for another 50 km and can drink about 100 liters of water at a time. Interestingly, in such heat, camels do not sweat at all. Their large humps are fat, which allows animals to go without food for a long time.

Incredibly, camels are excellent swimmers. And this at a time when most of them have never seen a single body of water.

sand cat- the smallest representative of wild cats. Body length - only 65-90 cm, 40% of which falls on the tail. These babies are nocturnal, escaping from the heat of the day in burrows.

Another bright representative of the fauna of the Sahara - Ethiopian hedgehog. By the way, he can do without food for up to 2.5 months.

Chit fennec fox - the smallest fox in the world also lives in the Sahara.

Body temperature oryx can reach 45 ° C. Despite their good endurance (they can do without water for a long time), now the oryx is threatened with complete extinction.

These are the secrets of the Sahara :)

Deserts have always attracted the attention of explorers and travelers. These unique natural areas excite the imagination and frighten us with their mystery. The most famous desert in the world is the Sahara. In this article, we will tell you how the Sahara Desert differs from other arid places on our planet and how it is interesting to modern science.

Geography of the Sahara Desert

The Sahara Desert is located in the northern part of the African continent and occupies almost 30% of the entire area of ​​Africa, which is comparable to the territory of Brazil. The area of ​​the Sahara is about 8.5 million square kilometers, which is why this desert is called the "Great Sahara". This region is second in size only to the Arctic desert, but is the largest hot desert in the world. In the bowels of the desert there is a huge amount of oil and natural gas. Especially in the territory belonging to Algeria and Libya. In addition, Algeria and Mauritania have large reserves of iron ore, and Morocco has a large amount of phosphates.

The exact age of the desert is unknown. There are different versions of this. Initially, it was believed that she was about 6 thousand years old. Now scientists agree that the Sahara was formed about 3.5 thousand years ago.

The Sahara Desert is washed by the Atlantic Ocean in the west, the Mediterranean Sea in the north, and the Red Sea in the east. In the south of the desert flows the Niger River.

Sahara is located on the territory of 11 countries: Libya, Algeria, Egypt, Tunisia, Chad, Morocco, Eritrea, Niger, Mauritania, Mali, Sudan. Sometimes the disputed territory, Western Sahara, is added to this list.

Sahara desert map

Relief of the Sahara Desert

Most of the Sahara is sandy, poor in organic matter, open spaces - flat pebble, clay and rocky plains. But here you can also find mountain ranges, plateaus, shallow basins, large oasis depressions and grasslands, which makes the relief of this corner of the world rather atypical and diverse. The most hilly part of the desert is its central region. It is here that the highest point of the Sahara is located - the Emi-Kushi volcano, 3,500 m high, and Mount Tahat, 3,003 m.

25% of the desert surface (almost 2.5 million km2) is occupied by wadis - sun-dried riverbeds and sand dunes. The dunes are found mainly in the north central region, in the territory of Algeria and Libya, where they move under the influence of strong winds. The winds move the sand up the back slope of the dunes until it reaches the crest, whereupon it falls under the force of gravity, cascading down the sliding surface. The wind in its path builds dunes in the form of waves. The dunes of the Sahara come in different shapes: round, star-shaped, sickle-shaped, transverse and pyramidal (up to 300 m high).

Sand dunes of the Sahara.

Climate of the Sahara Desert

The climate of the Sahara is one of the harshest in the world. There is little precipitation here, strong winds blow, and wide fluctuations in air temperature occur daily. The Sahara Desert is located in subtropical latitudes, with prevailing zones of high atmospheric pressure, which prevent the flow of moist air from the ocean.

In the Sahara, there are two main climatic zones: in the north - subtropics, and in the south - dry tropics. The northern part of the desert is the driest, while the western part is the wettest. During the rainy season, only 2 cm of precipitation falls in the north. In the rest of the desert, up to 9.9 cm of precipitation can fall in a whole year.

The prevailing wind blows from the northeast towards the equator, which explains the aridity of the desert. In the Sahara, very strong winds occur, up to 100 km per hour. They are called Shiroko. Such winds can cause sandstorms that can even be seen from space.

In the summer in the Sahara, you can safely record temperature records, as the air heats up to +60 degrees Celsius, and the sand up to +80 degrees Celsius. On September 13, 1922, in the Libyan city of El Aziziya, the maximum air temperature in the Sahara was recorded - 57.7 degrees Celsius. The average annual temperature in the Sahara is 30 degrees Celsius. Since the air contains little moisture to retain heat, there are large differences between day and night temperatures - up to 40 degrees Celsius.

In winter, freezing temperatures can be observed in the northern part of the desert. has ceased to be a rarity in recent years.

Water in the Sahara Desert

The Sahara Desert has only two permanent rivers and a few lakes, but it does have significant underground reservoirs and aquifers.

The permanent rivers are the Nile and the Niger. The Nile originates in central Africa, south of the Sahara, and flows north through the Sudan and Egypt and into the Mediterranean Sea. The Niger flows in western Africa, southwest of the Sahara, and continues northeast to Mali, deep into the desert, through Nigeria, emptying into the Gulf of Guinea.

There are about 20 lakes in the Sahara and only one of them contains drinking water. This is a shallow lake Chad, which is constantly expanding, then narrowing. Lake Chad is located on the territory of the state of the same name, on the southernmost edge of the Sahara. In other lakes, the water is very salty and not suitable for human consumption.

An oasis in the middle of the Sahara desert

The reservoirs of the Sahara often lie just below dry riverbeds and river valleys called "wadis". Aquifers sometimes spill some of their reserves to the surface. This is how oases are created. They are usually found at the low points of relief depressions. For many desert dwellers, oases are the only source of life in the midst of a hot, sandy ocean.

Population of the Sahara

Just over two million people live in the Sahara. These are people who live in permanent communities near water sources, as well as nomadic tribes. Due to climate change, the number of people, as well as many species of flora and fauna of the Sahara, has declined sharply over the past decade.

Animals and plants of the Sahara Desert

Pretty sparse and monotonous. Due to the specific climate in this vast region, only 500 plant species are counted. In particular, these are trees, grasses, thorny bushes, palm trees adapted to very hot conditions and salty water.

Plants often grow around oases, lakes and uplands. In oases, man practices the cultivation of fruits and some vegetables. Enough moisture falls along the Atlantic coast for the growth of lichens, succulents, and shrubs. In the highlands of the Tibesti and Jebel Uweinat meet. As temperatures are cooler here, plants such as tamarix, myrtle, oleander, acacia and palm trees can be found in this region.

The Sahara desert is inhabited by about 4 thousand representatives of the animal world. These are mainly invertebrates, about 15% of them are endemic. Animals of the Sahara are characterized by a nocturnal lifestyle and near-water habitat. Crocodiles, frogs and crayfish live in reservoirs. It is impossible not to mention lizards, scorpions, monitor lizards, chameleons and various reptiles that live on rocky slopes and in sand dunes.

Almost 60 species of mammals are found in the desert. The most famous among them are: cheetah, hyena-like dog, some species of foxes (fennec fox, pale fox) and antelopes, spotted hyena and Ethiopian hedgehog. Some animals are considered extinct, such as the North African elephant and addax antelope, the Saharan oryx, the African wild dog, and the African lion. Over 300 species of birds have been sighted in the desert. For example, silver-billed finches and mask amaranth.

The indigenous people of North Africa, the Berbers, breed camels, goats, sheep and donkeys.

The Sahara Desert is an attractive region for hunters. Due to intense safaris, many animals are classified as vulnerable. For example, the Nubian ibex, which, like other representatives of the fauna, occupies an important place in the ecosystem.

Environmental problems of the Sahara desert

Unfortunately, anthropogenic factors played a far from positive role here. Due to the cutting down of trees, the already meager reservoirs are catastrophically drying up. Animal grazing has led to the erosion of previously fertile soils. All this in total leads to the fact that every year the desert becomes wider by 5-10 square kilometers. Due to the increase in the desert area, the Earth's atmosphere is heating up faster, which negatively affects the inhabitants of the African continent and those who live outside it.

Despite the fact that very little research is being done in the desert region, the fact that many animals and plants are dying out is obvious, although the reasons that led to this are not fully known.

Positive changes have been observed since 2014, as this year was officially dedicated to desert issues and desertification. Thanks to this, the whole world thought about serious environmental problems. Some states have taken on a wide range of commitments to preserve the desert. For example, in Niger, a nature reserve has been created, in which activities are carried out to protect and increase the populations of gazelles and antelopes living in this region.

Interesting facts about the Sahara Desert

• The desert dwellers are mostly Berber and/or Arabic.
• Due to its impressive size, the desert is also called the "Great Sahara". The very same word "Sahara" from Arabic means "the greatest desert."
• Goats and camels are the most common domestic animals in the Sahara.
• In the desert, on natural rocks, archaeologists have found many rock paintings.
• Modern methods of mapping and measurement show that the desert changes its size from year to year, depending on the amount of precipitation in the region.
• Berbers as well as Arab nomads drove their camel caravans through these lands, trading in goods such as cloth, salt, gold and fish.
• Scientists predict that the desert will turn green again in about 15,000 years.
• These lands are 70% gravel and 30% sand.
• The Marathon des Sables is held in this desert. Daredevils from all over the world can take part in the six-day run. This pleasure is not cheap and requires good physical fitness.

The Sahara is the largest desert in the world. It is located in North Africa. 3000 years ago, there was a flourishing land on the site of the Sahara Desert, giraffes, antelopes and buffalo roamed. Hunters, warriors, shepherds lived. And now silence and heat. The tropical desert climate is very hot and dry. Rain falls infrequently and irregularly. In many places there is no rain for several years.

The Sahara occupies about a quarter of the African continent and its area is growing all the time. The entire Sahara lies on the ancient African platform. In the depressions of the platform there are sandy deserts with sparse bushes of dry grasses. Raised flat spaces are rocky deserts. Sometimes they are replaced by ancient volcanic highlands. Relief features are associated not only with the history of the development of the earth's crust, but also with the merging of climate. The dry trade winds of the northern hemisphere dominate the Sahara. The sun and winds dry up the earth.

In the daytime, when the thermometer shows 50 degrees of heat, snakes burrow into the sand, turtles and insects rush to hide. Even hardy camels can't handle the heat of the day. Caravans go through the desert in the morning and evening hours. Nights are cold here, especially in winter. From a sharp change in temperature, the mountains in the Sahara are cracking. Massive rocks turn into piles of stones, rubble, sand. Rocky deserts are widespread in the Sahara. Vast spaces are covered with small stones. Deserts with a cover of angular rubble locals call hamada. Rocky mountain deserts form a special type of landscape.

About a quarter of the area of ​​the Sahara is occupied by sandy deserts - ergs. The largest of them are called sandy seas. And, indeed, these huge accumulations of sand dunes and dunes resemble frozen sea waves. But the sands of the desert live, they are constantly carried by the wind. The dunes and dunes are constantly changing their outlines. Slowly but steadily they move, as if crawling in the wind.

But no matter how harsh the climate of the desert, people live here. The Sahara is mainly inhabited by nomads, but many also live settled. The way of life of people, their way of life and economy is determined by the nature of these places. Water is the main problem of the Sahara, every sip is precious. A few sources come to the surface. The most ancient riverbeds are filled with water only during rare showers. Water quickly evaporates, seeps into the sand and leaves the ground, moistening it. Therefore, there is more vegetation, richer pastures. But cattle destroy the grasses that hold the sands together with their roots. And the desert is advancing on the oases.

To protect themselves from the burning sun, the locals wrap themselves from head to toe in loose, long clothes. The most difficult moment for a traveler in the desert is sudden sandstorms. This is how Samum begins. In the Sahara it is called the breath of death. Many caravans perished in the hot chaos of the swirling sand.

Loose sands and bare rocky spaces of tropical deserts are practically devoid of soil cover. And where a thin layer of soil is formed, there is very little organic matter in it. And it's understandable why. The point here is the extreme poverty of vegetation. Vegetation cover is very sparse, and in many areas, generally absent. Only here and there are scattered bunches of hard, like wire, herbs or miserable thorny bushes, mainly from the mimosa family.

Only on the outskirts of the deserts, where they are replaced by semi-deserts, there is, though meager, but still a more developed grass cover. Individual, drought-adapted shrubs and trees grow.

Every piece of land is valued here. Water is used carefully, directed in thin streams to tiny fields. Where there is enough water, three crops are harvested a year. Dates, vegetables, grain are taken to the cities by long and difficult caravan trails. Crowded bazaars are noisy there, where nomadic cattle breeders and farmers flock. But there are very few cities in the Sahara. They arose only in large oases. Most of many African states are located in the Sahara:

• Algeria;
• Libya;
• Egypt
• Sudan;
• Niger;
• Mali;
• Mauritania.

The Sahara is rich in minerals: iron, copper and manganese ores. The main wealth of the subsoil of the Sahara is oil and gas. In the desert, new cities and towns spring up around the mining sites. A traditional feature of the Saharan cities is the narrow streets-corridors between the blank walls of houses. At the bottom of these deep corridors the sun does not penetrate and it is cooler here on a hot day.

The animal world of the desert is also poor. If in the semi-deserts you can meet antelopes or lions, then in the center of the desert mainly reptiles and insects live. The reason for the poverty of species of flora and fauna in one thing is the lack of drinking water. But even with the sparse vegetation of deserts, cattle breeding is possible. Pasture cattle breeding is the main occupation of the inhabitants of the Sahara (Arabs, Tuareg, Tibu). They lead a nomadic life, moving their pastures from one place to another. Saharan nomads breed sheep, goats and camels.

In the east of the Sahara, the great river Nile finds the strength to cross the desert from south to north. The Nile waters the land scorched by heat with life-giving moisture. The Nile Valley is the largest oasis in the Sahara. This is the cradle of the most ancient Egyptian culture in the history of mankind.

Federal Agency for Education

Tomsk State University

Abstract on the discipline "Biogeography"

Flora and fauna of the Sahara

Introduction

The Greatest Desert in the World

Modern desert flora

Modern desert fauna

Conclusion

Bibliography

Introduction

The Sahara occupies a large part of the African continent. On the western, northern and eastern outskirts it is bounded by boundaries in the form of the Atlantic Ocean, the Mediterranean and Red Seas, in the south it merges with the tropics. Most of the greatest desert is located at an altitude of 200-500 meters above sea level, where there are almost no sources of water and well-developed vegetation.

Sahara means "desert" in Arabic. It stretches from west to east for five thousand and from north to south for one and a half thousand kilometers. Its area is about nine square kilometers.

The purpose of this essay is to consider the flora and fauna of the Sahara.

The purpose of the abstract is:

· Description of modern desert flora;

· Description of modern desert fauna;

Identification of the characteristics of organisms living in the Sahara.

This work is written on 17 pages, contains a table.

1. The Greatest Desert in the World

The area of ​​the Sahara itself is about 9 million km 2, which is almost equal to the continental part of the United States. Although it is commonly believed that this desert is endless dunes, in fact, only one seventh of the desert is sandy, including ergs - sandy seas. The Great Sand Sea of ​​Libya and Egypt, covering an area equal to that of France, is the largest in the world, with dunes 100 m or more high. Most of the Sahara, that which is not covered with sand, is a rocky desert (reg) with a gravel surface of polished black and purple stones, or a gamada covered with flat limestones.

Topographically, this desert is a region of plateaus and plains, intersected by highlands.

The Nile is the only river that flows through the Sahara; numerous dry riverbeds in other watersheds originate in mountain ranges within or along the edges of the desert and terminate in inland basins, some below sea level.

Since the Sahara is located in a subtropical high pressure zone, it generally receives less than 125 mm of precipitation per year. As in all deserts, these precipitations fall very unevenly. Daytime temperatures in summer usually exceed 40C, and often 50C.

In the northern third of the Sahara, precipitation falls mainly from autumn to spring. Bushes grow here and herds of sheep and goats graze, belonging to the Arabs, who two generations ago led a nomadic lifestyle, and now have become mostly sedentary. The central part of the Sahara is the driest zone, there is very little moisture here. Although these parts have the least vegetation, Muslim nomads graze herds of sheep and goats here. In the southern third of the Sahara, called the Sahel, prolonged droughts in recent years have led to a significant increase in the area of ​​the desert.

In the Sahara, there are large mountains, and endless rocky plains, and incredible sand dunes that serve as a refuge for amazing animals. Here and there oases are scattered; in some places with clean and fresh water, in others with bitter or even poisonous. The scorching heat is replaced by night cold. Strong winds resulting from changes in temperature raise sand and dust, exhausting all living things. Sometimes, when the air is completely still and there is absolute silence, which is not disturbed by the singing of birds or the rustle of insects, sparkling stars are visible in the night sky. The bright sun can make a terrifying desert even beautiful, if you manage to forget that life in it is a constant fierce struggle for water.

The northern boundary of the Sahara is usually considered the Atlas mountain range. Its southern slopes are already attributed to the Sahara. The northern border of the Sahara is formed by several depressions, which are called the "Sahara fault". Some animals and plants never cross this ecological barrier. For example, a noisy viper that occurs south of the "rift" never appears north of it, not even a raven flies over it. The southern border is difficult to determine.

There are three main types of deserts in the Sahara: ergs, regs and hamads. Ergs are large sandy massifs, such as the Libyan Desert or the Great Western Erg. Regs are almost dead plains covered with a layer of coarse sand, rubble or pebbles. Hamads are huge flat spaces, the surface of which is formed by rocks.

The climate of the Sahara has been a desert climate for centuries. The few rivers of the Sahara, with the exception of the Nile, originate in the Atlas Mountains and flow until all their water disappears into the desert sands. There are oases in the Sahara - places where there are water sources or wells. In oases, water is strictly limited, and its use is usually controlled. The original plants of the oases are tamarisk, oleanders, and various shrubs. Groves of date palms, fruit trees, and wheat grow on fertile plots. The oases are distributed along four arcs: Saura, Gurara, Tuat and Tidikelt. This chain of oases, known as the "Palm Road", is 1200 km long. It stretches from the Moroccan border at Figig to In Salah in Tidikelt.

Like the Palm Road, the region of oases stretched along the northern border of the Sahara.

Among the largest oases of the Sahara, in addition to those mentioned, located from west to east, there are oases on the plateau of Mauritania, Dra and Tafilalet Djalo, Kufra (Libya), Kawar (Niger), Borku, Tibesti (Chad) and the oases of Egypt - Farafra, Dakhla, Kharga, Siwa.

The animals and plants of the Sahara are divided into those that exist only near water sources, and those that can live in a waterless desert. No part of the Sahara is completely devoid of life. Even where there is no rain for several years in a row and where we do not find vegetation, there are at least bacteria and fungi.

The uneven distribution of precipitation and different temperature regimes that characterize the northern and southern territories of the Sahara cause very significant differences in their floras. The Central Sahara is a border region between two large floristic kingdoms - the Paleotropical and the Holarctic. In the Northern Sahara, floristic elements of the Holarctic kingdom are found (first of all, plant species common in the Mediterranean region): representatives of the genera astragalus, mignonette, plantain, saltwort. The floristic elements of the Paleotropical kingdom, characteristic of the Southern Sahara, are the species of the genera indigo, hibiscus, cleome, acacia, field grass and syt, common here. In the Sahara, about 25% of endemic plant species. The flora of the Sahara is ten times poorer in species than the flora of Southern Europe. But still, 450 species of flowering and 75 species of other plants were found in the Central Sahara.

Plants in the desert struggle to obtain the necessary amount of moisture to continue their existence. Precipitation in the desert in the form of heavy rains is rare. Part of the water accumulates in the creeks and penetrates deep into the sand and silt. Quite tall perennial shrubs and trees can grow in such places. Along the dried up riverbeds, which are briefly filled with water after rains, thickets of tamarisk and oleander are visible. In places where there are constant sources of water, there are many large acacia trees; in the southern regions of the Sahara, you can also see the doom palm, although these are not typical desert plants. Perennial plants that create the green dress of the Sahara have to retain moisture in their tissues. Their main feature is a powerful root system, stretching for several meters. To reduce evaporation, desert plants have created various "devices", for example, their leaves are reduced to thorns, pubescent or covered with a kind of wax coating. Some species settle on the ground so that the winds do not dry them out, others collect water either in bulbs or in roots.

An unusual plant grows in the hamads of the Southern Atlas - anabasia, which is sometimes called sugar cauliflower. It consists of gray-green pads in the form of stars, similar to moss, but hard as stone.

Countless gray-green stars act as leaves. Sand gets into the gaps between the leaves, and sometimes the plant absorbs it. These grains of sand make the plants hard and stable. "Pillows" of anabasia are scattered everywhere, as far as the eye can see.

The animals of the Sahara face the same problem as the plants: how to get water and how to save it. From this point of view, ergs are better for animals than regs and hamads, mainly because their soil is soft and animals can hide in the sand from the heat of the day. Animals such as the fox, the fox, or the jerboa usually live in ergs, where they can easily dig a hole.

Only a relatively small number of desert animals are able to do without water for a long time. The skink lizard lives in deserted and dry places. This nimble, sand-burrowing animal up to 20 cm long was known in Europe already in the Middle Ages. Its meat was considered medicinal. The inhabitants of the oases catch the skink, as they consider it a delicacy. The lizard is dried, crushed in a mortar, the resulting powder is mixed with date jam, leather bags are filled with this mass and sold to caravans.

Some animals cannot exist at all in waterless lands. This applies mainly to small animals that find it difficult to overcome waterless distances.

In the Sahara, you can find toads that spend only a small part of their lives in the water. When a puddle forms for a short time after a rainstorm, the water simply teems with toads. The growth period of tadpoles is shorter here than in other places, so their tail falls off, and they have time to become toads before the puddle dries up. The main task of these animals is to hold out until the next rain. To do this, toads burrow into the ground or cracks between stones and thus escape from the scorching sun. In their burrows they sleep, breathe slowly and lose a large amount of fluid, sometimes up to 60%. As soon as they fall into the water, they immediately come to life. Reptiles are best adapted to the harsh life in the desert: they have dry skin covered with horny scales, they retain fluid because they do not sweat. Reptiles feed not only on insects, but also on animals whose tissues contain a significant amount of water. The main enemies of reptiles are carnivores, primarily birds of prey.

Birds and some large mammals solve the problems that the desert confronts them with the help of fast movement. In the Sahara, two types of gazelles, the true inhabitants of the desert, can be found: the dorcas gazelle and the sand gazelle. In the southern regions of the Sahara, a lady gazelle is sometimes found. Gazelles cannot live in a bare desert permanently. Although they can go without water for quite a long time, they need food, which most often grows around dry riverbeds, temporary puddles, or in places where there is enough underground moisture. The long legs and slender bodies of these animals allow them to quickly move through the desert in search of food and water.

Some birds, such as sandgrouse, found in all African deserts and semi-deserts, fly very far for water. When they drink, they stand in the water and wet their lower feathers. There are two types of larks that can live farthest from water sources in the desert: Saharan and desert larks. The Saharan lark (its length is 23 centimeters) on its high legs can run very quickly on the sand. It feeds mainly on beetle larvae, which it takes out of the sand with a long beak from a depth of up to 5 centimeters. It is inexplicable how he determines where a larva is hidden in the sand: his beak almost never dives into the sand to no avail. The desert lark is somewhat smaller than the Saharan, and the color of its plumage merges with the color of the land on which it lives. In larks living in the sand, it is sand-colored; those who live on dark rocks have a dark one. A bright lark never sits on dark ground, and vice versa. The desert lark is not afraid of people.

Large animals, due to their size, cannot dig a hole for themselves to hide from the sun. Such animals are forced to evaporate moisture, cooling themselves during the day, and at night, maintaining their temperature, lose energy. The most amazing of the animals living in the Sahara is the addax antelope. She lives in large sandy expanses, sometimes in the very heart of ergs. These antelopes, the size of a small donkey, with spiral horns, walk in small groups or singly, uniting in numerous herds only during the mating season. They drink very rarely, so they can live in absolutely dry places. Addaxes have disproportionately large hooves, well adapted for moving on loose sands.

There are no more wild camels in the Sahara, they are all tamed and serve people as a means of transportation or as a draft animal.

On the southern slopes of the Atlas and in the mountains of Tibesti, Ahaggar and Aira, a maned ram comes across. This shy mountain animal is very difficult to see. During the day, it hides from the scorching sun in caves or gorges, and goes out to graze at night.

2. Modern desert flora

The climate of the Saharan region is characterized by high air temperatures, often with sharp and large fluctuations, and a small amount of precipitation, which falls extremely unevenly. In the areas of genuine desert that are in the same region, rainfall, if any, is insufficient to support life. The combination of high temperatures and poor rainfall creates an environment of very low air humidity and high evapotranspiration, and in some areas these factors can also lead to an increase in the salt content of the topsoil. As a result of these contrasting external conditions, the vegetation becomes sparse and monotonous. In such an environment, ephemera xerophytes feel especially good, and the prevalence of halophytes is also noted.

The vegetation of the Sahara has 1200 species, including 104 families of angiosperms and 10 families of spore plants.

Table 1

Species diversity of Sahara plants

An amazing feature of the flora is the appearance of a number of completely isolated monotypic genera with a wide and narrow distribution. The presence of such numerous monotypic genera is considered evidence of their origin in the distant Tertiary period with the probable disappearance of connecting forms.

3. Modern desert fauna

Since the outlines and boundaries of the Sahara are rather vague, the number of species of small mammals that live in this desert can only be indicated approximately. If we talk about eight countries or localities, then 6 orders, 24 families and 83 species are registered in them. Judging by the number of species, rodents (40 species) master the Sahara especially successfully, and among rodents, the family Cricetidae (22 species) gives the largest number of species. All gerbils are characterized by brown or sandy hair on the back, a whitish color of the abdomen, long tails, usually with a brush at the end, large eyes and swollen auditory drums. Although representatives of the Muridae family, which are very numerous in pre-Saharan Africa, develop the desert, apparently less successfully, with the exception of only one of their species, the Egyptian jerboa, is widespread, and the rest are confined to separate areas of the Mediterranean coastal region. Other families of rodents are represented by a small number of species, often with small or broken ranges. Dormouse and mole rats are not truly desert rodents and exist as relict populations in a few outlying areas. Gundia or comb-toed rats and hyraxes are rock dwellers, forming isolated populations in mountains and other rocky habitats. The only other group of small herbivores in the Sahara are the hares, which form scattered populations in places where grasses grow in sufficient quantities.

An interesting and important group of small predators are insectivores and carnivores. Insectivores are represented by hedgehogs, shrews and long-eared jumpers. Hedgehogs are rarely seen, but they are quite widespread in areas teeming with insects; shrews are rarer and occur in rocky or wet habitats. Carnivores include three types of foxes, two types of mustelids, genet, mongoose, two types of cats. The populations of all these predators are small and dispersed, mainly due to the difficulty of obtaining food.

Monitor lizards are the most famous lizards. In the sandy areas of the northwest Sahara, there is a large desert monitor, which is 100-120 cm long. It is most often found in the reins and dunes, preferring hard areas where it can find shelter and prey. The desert monitor lizard feeds on lizards, sometimes feasts on snakes and birds. A hungry monitor digs holes and eats small rodents, in particular jerboas and gerbils.

In the extreme south of the Sahara, monitor lizard can be found on outcrops of granite rocks. During the day, these reptiles make long sorties at a distance of 4-5 km from their burrow. Going on such a long journey for them, they hope to find islands of vegetation in the desert, in the thickets of which you can hide from the heat and heat.

From enemies, including humans, monitor lizards defend themselves with the help of a tail and sharp claws, sometimes they can bite into the body of an animal with their teeth. The monitor lizards use their tail skillfully and masterfully. Waving them like cowboys with whips, they knock down even wild dogs. The bite of a monitor lizard is very dangerous: pathogenic microbes remaining on his teeth lead to suppuration of the wound, and the animal (like a person) can die from an infection.

On the territory of the central countries of Africa, the Nile monitor lizard lives - a well-known lover of crocodile eggs and small crocodiles. By extracting these delicacies, Nile monitor lizards show ingenuity and sharpness. They go hunting in pairs, one of them distracts the attention of the mother, the other at this time robs the egg laying. It is not easy to tame these lizards, they often run away from the cage, preferring freedom and tedious search for food. They eat quite a lot, they can swallow 10 eggs very quickly. Often Nile monitors raid chicken coops, devouring eggs and chickens.

Gray monitor lizards live in North Africa, most often they can be found in dry and rocky areas. Here, between rocky hills on sandy plains, he attacks small mammals. Upon an unexpected meeting with a person, representatives of this species of lizards instantly rush to the chest or face; attacking large mammals, they bite into their stomach. Gray monitor lizards are guests of many zoos in the world. They very quickly get used to life in captivity, are tamed and do not harm people.

Mamba is the most terrible and dangerous snake in Africa, distributed from the Sahara to the south of the continent. The locals are not afraid of cobras or vipers as much as these tree snakes. If ordinary snakes crawl at a speed of 1 km / h, then the mamba is able to reach speeds of up to 11.3 km / h, and it moves even faster along the branches of trees. In terms of speed of movement, mamba ranks second in the world.

Before biting, the snake raises its head, opens its mouth wide and hisses softly (and such a threat is usually short-lived), then swiftly attacks the victim and plunges its long poisonous teeth into it. The protective coloring allows it to remain invisible in the foliage; almost all mambas are painted green. But you can meet her not only in the thicket of the forest, but also in the fields, and sometimes these snakes even penetrate into houses.

Despite its impressive length (up to 4.5 m), mamba glides through trees and shrubs with fantastic dexterity and dexterity, seeping through dense vegetation without hindrance.

Mambas feed on birds and rodents. Not all mamba bites are fatal, and snake danger in the tropics is exaggerated.

Sahara Agama - These are reptiles that live in the Sahara. Some agamas live on rocky mountain cliffs, deftly and nimbly climb the rocks, others can be seen on wide and flat plateaus, but they all easily tolerate high temperatures and excess sunlight. Agamas feed on beetles, locusts, ants and termites, which are especially found in the desert after rains. Due to the protective coloration among cereal vegetation, it is very difficult to notice the agama.

The largest of all agamas is the Saharan, locals call it dabb. Males of this species are easily distinguished from females, their backs are decorated with a pattern of spots, lines and stripes. The color scheme of the picture depends on the habitat of the agama and combines yellow, green and red-orange tones. Females are most often painted dirty yellow or gray. Agamas try to stay away from settlements and villages, because people catch them and eat them. Both plants and insects serve as food for the Saharan agama. These reptiles spend most of the day hunting for locusts, sometimes attaching themselves to rock ledges and tracking insects.

The largest inhabitant of the Sahara is the camel. It belongs to the order of corns. Its characteristic features are a long neck with an elongated head, a split upper lip, a special structure of teeth, the absence of horns and posterior incisors, and calloused soles.

Two types of camels are known: the swift-footed two-humped Bactrian, living mainly in the Asian steppes, and the one-humped dromedary, common to the Sahara. The dromedary can also run fast, but prefers a measured caravan pace, which covers 4-4.5 km per hour. A pack camel can carry a load of up to 200 kg for weeks, being content with a small amount of water and food, and doing thirty to forty kilometers daily.

A camel can go without water for a long time. In its hump, it contains fat, from which water is formed as a result of transformations. In addition, with sweat, he releases a small amount of liquid. During the day, when the sun is burning, his body temperature rises to 40C, only after that he begins to sweat, which allows him to conserve a lot of water. At night, when the air temperature drops, the camel's body temperature drops significantly, sometimes even up to 34C.

Conclusion

It is difficult to count the number of species living in the Sahara. But according to approximate data, there are about 1,400 plant species and about 100 animal species in the desert now. In this abstract, examples of only some species are given, their descriptions are given. Also in this work, the features of organisms living in the Sahara are revealed.

Bibliography

1. Babaev A.G., Drozdov N.N., Zonn I.S. Deserts. - M.: Thought, 1986. - 318 p.

2. Wagner J. Africa: heaven and hell for animals. - M.: Thought, 1987. - 350 p.

3. Wagner F.Kh. Desert living world. - L.: Gidrometeoizdat, 1994. - 248 p.

4. Sahara / Ed. V.E. Sokolov. - M.: Progress, 1990. - 424 p.

5. Fukarek F., Hempel V., Huebel G. Plant world of the Earth./Ed. F. Fukareka. - M.: Mir, 1982. - T 2 - 184 p.

6. Höfling G. Hotter than hell / Per. with him. M.S. Osipova, Yu.M. Frolova. - M.: Thought, 1986. - 208 p.

7. Shapovalova O.A. Africa. - M.: TERRA - book club, 2003. - 384 p.

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