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| PLANTS AND VEGETATION |
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The Sahara Desert is not a barren plain but is very beautiful and full of different Sahara Desert plants. The soil in low-lying areas in Sahara Desert is saline and as a result plant growth is sparse. The dry weather causes desiccation of plants due to high rate of transpiration and evaporation of water from the leaves. To be able to survive in these extremely harsh and inhospitable conditions, plants need to have certain adaptations like modification of broad leaves into spines to prevent excessive loss of water from the plant body, which is seen in desert plants like cactus. Many of the plants here are ephemeral, with short life cycles that are lived out only after rain. Other plants that can live here year-round, such as those in the genus Euphorbia, are able to take in water when it does rain and then store it for future use.
In the Sahara, the vegetation primarily consists of xerophytes and halophytes, grasses, shrubs, and trees. Desert plants like the African Welwitchsia possess very long roots that penetrate very deep into the earth and help the plant survive in the hot and dry desert conditions. The Sahara desert plants are mostly those plants, which thrive in habitats rich in salts such as semi-deserts, salt marshes and seacoasts. Many desert plants have developed a thick stem that helps them to hold water for a very long time and their spine like leaves also helps them in reducing the water loss through the leaf stomata. The common desert plants include cypress, olive, acacia and artemisia, doum palm, oleander, date palm, and thyme, while the common types of grasses include Eragrostis, Panicum, and Aristida. Vegetation growth is more concentrated in oases and along riverbeds. |
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