
Desert | Definition, Climate, Animals, Plants, & Types | Britannica
Nov 26, 2025 · Desert, any large, extremely dry area of land with sparse vegetation. It is one of Earth’s major types of ecosystems, supporting a community of plants and animals specially …
Desert - Wikipedia
A desert is a landscape where little precipitation occurs and, consequently, living conditions create unique biomes and ecosystems. The lack of vegetation exposes the unprotected surface of …
Desert - National Geographic Society
Oct 28, 2025 · Deserts are arid ecosystems that receive fewer than 25 centimeters (10 inches) of precipitation a year. Death Valley, California, above, receives fewer than 5 centimeters (2 …
Deserts, facts and information | National Geographic
Deserts cover more than one-fifth of the Earth's land area, and they are found on every continent. A place that receives less than 10 inches (25 centimeters) of rain per year is considered a...
What Is a Desert? - USGS Publications Warehouse
Approximately one-third of the Earth's land surface is desert, arid land with meager rainfall that supports only sparse vegetation and a limited population of people and animals.
What Is a Desert?
What Is a Desert? Although many people visualize deserts as dry, desolate wastelands, the term actually defines a wide spectrum of landscapes and plant and animal population densities.
DESERT Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster
The meaning of DESERT is arid land with usually sparse vegetation; especially : such land having a very warm climate and receiving less than 25 centimeters (10 inches) of sporadic rainfall …
Deserts 101: What is a desert? - desertgardeners.com
Feb 17, 2025 · Deserts, also referred to by scientists as arid lands or drylands, get less water through precipitation (rain and snow) than they lose through evaporation and transpiration (the …
Desert Definition - World Geography Key Term | Fiveable
A desert is a barren area of land characterized by very low precipitation, making it inhospitable for most plant and animal life. These regions are often defined by extreme temperature …
Desert (Meaning and Explanation)
The desert is a bioclimatic landscape (or biome) that can be hot or icy and which is characterized by having low precipitation rates, a dry climate, extreme temperatures and arid soil.