Slide 1:  How do animals and plants survive in the Sonoran Desert, Arizona , USA ?  A presentation supplied by North Chadderton School, Oldham, Lancashire, England
Slide 2:  Does a barrel cactus contain water ?  Yes, the Barrel Cactus does store water, but it is not free flowing. The water is stored in special tissue.  Jackrabbits and other animals can survive in very hot conditions by eating this moist pulp.
Slide 3:  Some people have been known to survive by eating this moist pulp. However, certain species of cactus can contain toxins harmful to humans.  In addition, Arizona Native Plant Law prohibits damaging and destroying barrel cacti and other native plants
Slide 4:  The white-winged dove has a plump body which gives it a high mass-tosurface area ratio, which minimises moisture loss .  The plump body also insulates them from extremes of temperature. .
Slide 5:  The white-winged dove eats dry seeds, and the fruit provided by cacti.  They can go without water for four or five days, and fly up to 10 miles to find water.
Slide 6:  The white-winged dove survive even if their body weight is reduced by 20% by dehydration, and they are able to drink salt water.  They are able to rehydrate quickly, and suck up water like a mammal, unlike most birds.
Slide 7:  Rodents can sometimes kill a Saguaro cactus , by chewing at its moist pulp.  The Red-Tailed Hawk helps to reduce the rodent population around the cactus, by killing the rodents for food .
Slide 8:  During the summer, temperatures can reach o over 110 F.  The jackrabbit is able to release heat through its long ears and legs.
Slide 9:  Following rain showers the Ocotillo plant grows leaves along its thorny stems.  During a shortage of rain the leaves turn brown and fall. This conserves water, by reducing evaporation.
Slide 10:  The green bark of the Ocotillo take over the functions of the leaves during heavy periods of drought.  The process of photosynthesis is able to continue.
Slide 11:  The Saguaro provides home and protection for birds and other small animals.  It provides food for its neighbours.  It can store large amounts of water in its fleshy tissue
Slide 12:  The Desert Mariposa unfolds its orange coloured blossoms only in the Spring.  During the rest of the year the foliage is dead.  It EVADES the action of the desert heat.
Slide 13:  The diet of the Peccary consists of shrubs, grass, mesquite beans , cacti and various roots and tubers.  They are able to eat cactus, with the prickly spines ! They also eat nuts and berries.  They are able to extract sufficient moisture from this diet for several days at a time.
Slide 14:  The Peccary chooses its location carefully, for shelter.  They use twisting courses of desert washes with the shade provided by the trees.  Living in large cavities provided by erosion of the banks, also offers suitable hiding places.
Slide 15:  The signature plant of the Sonoron Desert : it does not exist anywhere else in the world  Tall column-shaped cactus with pleated stems. Can grow to 40' (12m) .  Produces white flowers in Spring.  Has a shallow root system, and can absorb gallons of water during a single rainfall.
Slide 16:  The pleats in its trunk allow for expansion, so that it can hold tons of water , to last through the periods of low rainfall .  The waxy, tough coat minimises loss of water by evaporation.  Can live up to 200 years.  Smaller saguaros live under 'nurse' plants, which provide shelter during the early years.
Slide 17:  Cavities in the stems are made by woodpeckers, and they use them as nests.  Once the woodpeckers move out these homes are soon adopted by other visitors, such as elf owls, flycatchers, purple martins, and brown bats.  Damage can occur sometimes by sudden frosts, lightning, high winds.
Slide 18:  Seeds swallowed by animals and birds pass through their digestive system unharmed. When deposited under trees and shrubs they are given a chance to germinate.  Harvester ants gather seeds by the million, and store them in an underground food reservoir, too deep for the seeds to sprout.  Fortunately, the Saguaro produces enough seeds to more than compensate for this loss !