Page 1 - 2. Lesson notes - Adaptations for Terrestrial Habitats - Desert

SAI International School
Subject - Biology, Class-VI
Topic- Adaptation in living organisms
Subtopic- Adaptations for Terrestrial Habitats (Deserts)
Module- 25
Lesson notes

All Living organisms have certain specific features that enable them to survive
successfully in a particular habitat.
Features that enable an organism to adjust or adapt to its surrounding are called
adaptive features or adaptation.
Example -
o A fish is adapted to live in water.
o A monkey is adapted to live on a tree.
o A camel is adapted to live in a desert.
ADAPTATION FOR TERRESTRIAL HABITATS

DESERTS-

Desert regions -
➢ Have scanty rainfall less than 25 cm annually.
➢ Usually are very hot during the day at about 50˚C.
➢ Cold at night with the temperature dipping to as low as 0˚C.
➢ Have sparse vegetation and very little animal population.
➢ Plants and animals found here have adapted to difficult desert conditions.
Example-
Plants- Cacti and Acacia.
Animal- Camel, Kangaroo-rat, and Snakes.
ADAPTIVE FEATURES OF PLANTS IN A DESERT-
CACTUS
• Plants have a well developed long and deep root system to reach and
draw underground water.
• Some plants have leaves that are modified in the form of spines to reduce
water loss through stomata during transpiration.
• The steam is modified to perform the function of photosynthesis in cactus.
• The steam is fleshy so it can store a lot of water.
• Desert plants are usually covered with a waxy coating to prevent water
loss by transpiration.
• Desert plants are also called succulent plants.