Desert. Docs

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2	Location	Many deserts are found in bands along 30 degrees latitude north and 30 degrees latitude south (between the red lines on the map).
3	Climate
4	Flora	Some deserts located by mountains and are caused by the "rainshadow" effect. As air moves up over a mountain range, it gets cold and loses the ability to hold moisture -- so it rains or snows. When the air moves down the other side of the mountain, it gets warmer. Warm air can hold lots of moisture, so it doesn't rain as much, and a desert is formed.
5	Fauna	Desert fauna include animals that remain hidden during daylight hours to control body temperature or to limit moisture needs. Some fauna includes the kangaroo rat, coyote, jack rabbit, and many lizards. These animals adapted to live in deserts are called xerocoles.
6	Human Impact	There are many ways human activities can impact the desert biome, at least where there is an existing ecosystem. Development by mining or residential use is one way, as would be diverting the limited water supplies for agricultural use elsewhere. Humans can damage the desert ecosystem if they use the areas for recreation in an unwise fashion. Off-road riding (4x4 and dirt bikes) can damage desert plants and pollute the soil, as well as disrupting the activities of wildlife. Culverting or diverting water supplies, which are already likely scarce, can prevent infrequent rainfall from reaching the native plants. Killing rodents or predators that invade farms impacts the food chain that exists in the desert. Although it may not appear so, most deserts support fragile ecosystems that are easily damaged by roads, mineral refuse, or oil contamination that can come from industries or mines.
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