Hot And Dry Desert Essays - Deserts And Xeric Shrublands, Habitats

Hot and Dry Desert The four major North American deserts of this type are the Chihuahuan, Sonoran, Mojave and Great Basin. Others outside the U.S. include the Southern Asian realm, Neotropical (South and Central America), Ethiopian (Africa) and Australian. The seasons are generally warm throughout the year and very hot in the summer. The winters usually bring little rainfall. Temperatures exhibit daily extremes because the atmosphere contains little humidity to block the Sun's rays. Desert surfaces receive a little more than twice the solar radiation received by humid regions and lose almost twice as much heat at night. Many mean annual temperatures range from 20-25? C. The extreme maximum ranges from 43.5-49? C. Minimum temperatures sometimes drop to -18? C. Rainfall is usually very low and/or concentrated in short bursts between long rainless periods. Evaporation rates regularly exceed rainfall rates. Sometimes rain starts falling and evaporates before reaching the ground. Rainfall is lowest on the Atacama Desert of Chile, where it averages less than 1.5 cm. Some years are even rainless. Inland Sahara also receives less than 1.5 cm a year. Rainfall in American deserts is higher?almost 28 cm a year. Soils are course-textured, shallow, rocky or gravely with good drainage and have no subsurface water. They are coarse because there is less chemical weathering. The finer dust and sand particles are blown elsewhere, leaving heavier pieces behind. Canopy in most deserts is very rare. Plants are mainly ground-hugging shrubs and short woody trees. Leaves are "replete" (fully supported with nutrients) with water-conserving characteristics. They tend to be small, thick and covered with a thick cuticle (outer layer). In the cacti, the leaves are much-reduced (to spines) and photosynthetic activity is restricted to the stems. Some plants open their stomata (microscopic openings in the epidermis of leaves that allow for gas exchange) only at night when evaporation rates are lowest. These plants include: yuccas, ocotillo, turpentine bush, prickly pears, false mesquite, sotol, ephedras, agaves and brittlebush. The animals include small nocturnal (active at night) carnivores. The dominant animals are burrowers and kangaroo rats. There are also insects, arachnids, reptiles and birds. The animals stay inactive in protected hideaways during the hot day and come out to forage at dusk, dawn or at night, when the desert is cooler. Semiarid Desert The major deserts of this type include the sagebrush of Utah, Montana and Great Basin. They also include the Nearctic realm (North America, Newfoundland, Greenland, Russia, Europe and northern Asia). The summers are moderately long and dry, and like hot deserts, the winters normally bring low concentrations of rainfall. Summer temperatures usually average between 21-27? C. It normally does not go above 38? C and evening temperatures are cool, at around 10? C. Cool nights help both plants and animals by reducing moisture loss from transpiration, sweating and breathing. Furthermore, condensation of dew caused by night cooling may equal or exceed the rainfall received by some deserts. As in the hot desert, rainfall is often very low and/or concentrated. The average rainfall ranges from 2-4 cm annually. The soil can range from sandy and fine-textured to loose rock fragments, gravel or sand. It has a fairly low salt concentration, compared to deserts which receive a lot of rain (acquiring higher salt concentrations as a result). In areas such as mountain slopes, the soil is shallow, rocky or gravely with good drainage. In the upper bajada (lower slopes) they are coarse-textured, rocky, well-drained and partly "laid by rock bench." In the lower bajada (bottom land) the soil is sandy and fine-textured, often with "caliche hardpan." In each case there is no subsurface water. The spiny nature of many plants in semiarid deserts provides protection in a hazardous environment. The large numbers of spines shade the surface enough to significantly reduce transpiration. The same may be true of the hairs on the woolly desert plants. Many plants have silvery or glossy leaves, allowing them to reflect more radiant energy. These plants often have an unfavorable odor or taste. Semiarid plants include: Creosote bush, bur sage (Franseria dumosa or F. deltoidea), white thorn, cat claw, mesquite, brittle bushes (Encelia farinosa), lyciums, and jujube. During the day, insects move around twigs to stay on the shady side; jack rabbits follow the moving shadow of a cactus or

Ethnic Stratification, Prejudice, Discrimination Hispanics

Ethnic Stratification, Prejudice, Discrimination Hispanics Ethnicity and race have been a topic of immense concern in the United States of America since it has a wide range of ethnic and racial entities in this country, having a broad historical background of origin. The author of this paper discusses the effects of ethnic stratification on the Hispanics/Latinos, and how prejudice and discrimination are relevant to this ethnic group.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Ethnic Stratification, Prejudice, Discrimination: Hispanics specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Ethnic Stratification Ethnic stratification has resulted in differences in the distribution of resources according to hierarchical positions. The most powerful/dominant ethnic group enjoys most benefits as long as resource distribution is concerned. In the US, stratification was done based on physical appearance and religion. The white Protestants are top in the hierarchy followed by the Jews, white Catholics and Asians. T he bottom in the hierarchy includes the blacks, Indian Americans, some Asians and Hispanics or Latinos. This has changed since there have been several conversions from one culture to another. Currently, stratification is done using two main ways i.e. biological characteristics and ethnic background. To the Hispanic, what has mostly influenced their placement in the hierarchy is their ethnic background. Given their unclear origin these citizens are usually treated as non-Americans. They are currently ranked lower than the blacks especially in employment, housing and education. The Latinos are thus discriminated because of their position in the ethnic hierarchy. In fact, stratification is the main reason for racialism and racism among the American population. Prejudice and discrimination The disparity in ethnic class resulting from the social stratification in the American society has resulted to uncontained prejudice and discrimination. Price (2012) defines prejudice as peoplesâ€⠄¢ perception towards people of other cultures whose traits they consider negative because of their cultural background, religion or color (Price 802). Discrimination, on the other hand, is ones act of prejudice on another person or a group (Price 802).Advertising Looking for essay on ethnicity studies? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More According to different surveys (Gk-survey, Pew Research poll), the Hispanics are ranked second after African Americans among those who face discrimination in the United States of America. The Hispanics are mostly discriminated against finding adequate and good housing (US Census Bureau, para 7). The pew research poll indicated a shocking statistics that three of ten Latino employees have been discriminated at least once a week at their work place. About 12% of the interviewed Hispanics in the US Census Bureau Survey believe that at one time, they had been fired from work due to prejudic e. Moreover, one in ten Hispanic men report going into prison at least once in their life due to prejudice and discrimination (US census bureau para. 6). This discrimination extends to other extremely valuable services like education, health services and leadership. The children and youth are the most affected by the discrimination though adults also phase their position of prejudice and discrimination. The discrimination has had lots of influence on the perception of the Hispanics on life and other vital activities (Price 801). The Hispanics are reported to be less motivated in life at work, low education standard and high unemployment rates. These are all results of prejudice and discrimination that they face. Policy measures to reduce the discrimination bears no evident fruit, campaigns for equality to bears no fruits. It is forecast that with the increase in Hispanic immigrants into the US, perceptions against the Hispanics increases and thus discrimination worsens. The bid to r educe this prejudice has thus to be heightened to save the situation. Price, Patricia L. â€Å"Race and ethnicity: Latino immigrants and emerging geographies of race and place in the USA.† Progress in Human Geography 36.6 ( 2012): 800-809. Print. US census bureau, 2010, Web. www.census.gov.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Ethnic Stratification, Prejudice, Discrimination: Hispanics specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More