edge erienslve saileled shrub—lorlr arsoeianons «orb.
are any nun~gmss or herbareous planisl, dunes on
harder paverrlen. areas, and aims. bare pauemene bi
harder roars win. iareied pebble. (aim plaln or leg).

where aver-grazing has no. been .he deminan.
iearure ol larui use. a desen may presen. an eyeelewl
appearanee oi a Iow-(Xowned lorese wi.h shrub
nadersmmy, and some areas may bear rirr. or neher rn
puni species lhan a mane humid idles. fllwmnmnl ln
dmxl, nowever, mere will usually be larger or smaller
areas oi bale soil beiween all mijnr plan. dumps or
species, Closer .nspeeuon may reyeal a
WHIgAI-Ilthrn teryplryami erusl on live bale areas,
more or less .nlar. dependlng an lne lreduenry o!
hooded anirrlala nus Wm": crusl ls a erirleal and
delieaie lealure prevenllne wlnd eruslpn. irs
preservanun ls essenlial larsoil surlnllry.

some learules dl .he deserve nlv

- l'lanis produee (uplons seed wilh long vinbilny,
seed .s olien wind-dispersed.

. Termlles and arm are male eased-ye inan worms as
soil ae.alo.s and deeamposels

- ham may iall in mrasale pauerns, so .na. vthnll
B also a varied rrlasaie oi hrs and raln. and ephemeral
planls al dlliereni response stages lrun. growih In
deeay are evideni New generaiions a. snrubs may
erperseme laveurable leedlln; rondllions as rarely as
every 7e2il years This .hen peeonles .lle perlud oi
reeruiunenlel new iomsis or shmblands.

. Mueh a: .he waier runaril syslem may end nm in
rivers lull in rnland salkpin: or baslns irniarllrlr
dralnagel, llom whien all wa.erevenn.ally evapdraies.

- Normal erosion is by , bu. rare rloudbursls
shape .he mam erosion ieaiures and move ras.
dummies el loose maienai ironi .he hllls .n .urbulerll
mean. new wlnd imnspons malerials ideally in due:
riarns.

- Animals burrow, seek shade, or are ruserurrlal in
mder id eunserve Wain; many are highly adapied (or
waler eunservanon.

. rlanl assdelauons may be very varied irl response
in (hinges ln longemrrn aspen; sneh as slope, srnl
deprh, sallnl.y, browslne lnierlsiry, pH, and nxk .ype

smleml) areas have sieppe. scrub, arld law ioresl
veseeanan, ARID .s sleppe and saaiiered low shrubs,
and lrue DESERT has llllle hu| oases and ephemeral
quaflun appearing alier .he rare rams Desens have a
ramrall elasslhrarlbn ol-

. Hypemnd: in em annual average (cg Alaeama.
Nanub am, eenrral Samuel.

- hmmly dry. —5 an annual average.

. And. 545 err. annual average ie 5. Mohave.
50mm, Sahara marpmsi.

. 5emleari sad rm, maximum ul en. lmueh eiihr
AulInJIan .ieseris. Asian deseris, Kalallaril.

Above in em, and lo 75 or mu en. rainlall we have
lpoierulallyi dry savarmah ioresis. and ii .s up .a .his
larier level .ha. we will be dealing wilh ln lhrs ehapier
Ramllfl .s not dependable .n and areas, wur. a normal
sin vnrlzhun. and a poierlrlal me var-.siian .n any one

 

 

 

yflr. rulenilal erraporsiion can nnge lroln values or
m urn/yearln hyperand areas re. imem rn neppe,

We ear. also regard lhe polar lee—eaps as hyperand
llor preeiplualion) bu. evaporaiurn levels are very low?
wlnd removal ol snow aeplnaes evaporallon, aorh lhe
vzvy eold and hyperal-ld hai desens nave one Hang in
mmmon—ihey mummu'y and preserves yul raneeoi
organic and labrieaied subslanees, whlrh plan": a
rrlanaeemenl problem when dealing wlih pollufiun, as
breakdown ell mus. organic subsianees ean be very
slow in rhe absenee oi waler.

A parados ln almos. all large deseri ur and areas is
.he exisienee ul .wo iypes ol mare humld
envlronmerlis. EXOTIC RIVERS which llow .n iroln
belierewaieled or kinsud ngions, and 0.455 There
.s a uurd. invlslble waier .esouree. .hai ul aouxrzxs
(underground walers) All musl be used wuh gr“!
cauilan, as waler in all oi lirese resuumes ran be ideally
eahausled, and auullers ran be depleied over vns.
alas by immodes. use las ihey have been in are usm
rhls misuse (all cause widuprud subsidenee, collapse
ul lhe aauller. and . permanani disappealanre ol lhnse
oases wrueh were in depressions led byiheaeuuer

lrlslead oi eoneenbrallng on exorie waier in desaris,
we should niiernpl be unwise ille lnpul or waler mid ihe
aqullers. solls. and sneams. and lo rehum.d.ly lhe
deserl arr by planllng irees and proieellng errsilng
vegeiallun. ii is me presenee ol irees and shrubs.
.ransplrlne rsiher lhan eviwmlmg wan-r, rhal keep rhe
deserl sails irom evaporaling a. sell level, Onee
evaporailon alone eperales, capillary dnlun aulsklv
brlnp subruriaee salis lo lhe suriare as maple - m.
sodium, ealriurn, and palmum edmpoundsiehklrldes,
sulphales. sarbonalesl and we ran m longer estdbm
vegeuliveeaver.

When we talk all and lands. we should also
remember equalunal low islands, unsiablllsed sand
dunes in midsummer even in eoal elirrlaies. and whole
penbds di relanve rims!“ even ln more hunud areas
iimluding ihe dry wanrels in many sublmplal aw”).
nu. is why l. .s unprirlani w speeiiy planeel'ms and
droughlenardy plarus lor many siruarluns, and why
any smlzgy In ad waler .r..o sell, and keep li lhem. ls
worlhwhlle There are Inge areas ol Meduerrarrean
elimale .rn desen borders wmeh a.e ~arid- ll lhey have
deep sands and poor waler relenilon,

a pnneund duesllon lo ask abou. desens cancerns
uur basle usage Lulesiaeir herding has been
|radillonal~and derasiannl; Ausirallans reruvlans
and Alricins, Arabs. and rlbelans have all used and
areas ior herding Abungmal Ausrralians managed
bener. by harvcsung .he namral abundanee nl deseris
sa lira. .he armlral siress al herds was nei
superimposed on lire nalural siresses or dry seasons.

We smuld Wlhml uur sualegles el desen use, and
.he way we oeeupy and lands l. is possible in esubllsrl
a unhmy—devduped eore senlmmh .a sel a... hardy
planis lor many lsrlamelres along lavourable areas or
CORRIDORS and no ralre 2dvamage ol (he rare rams Ia
esblblislr a wlde biologic“ resnulee lor dry yurs l. ls

 

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