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| Description: Physical Environment: Precipitation is less than 25 cm a year, often in the form of snow. Rainfall usually comes in the spring. In the daytime, temperatures can be high in the summer, 21°C–26°C, but average around freezing, 2°C–4°C, in the winter. Location: Cold deserts are found in dry regions at middle to high latitudes, especially in the interiors of continents and in the rain shadows of mountains. Cold deserts are found in North America (the Great Basin Desert), in eastern Argentina (the Patagonian Desert), and in central Asia (the Gobi Desert). Plant Life: Cold deserts are relatively poor in terms of numbers of species of plants. Most plants are small in stature, being only between 15 cm and 120 cm tall. Many species are deciduous and spiny. The Great Basin Desert in Nevada, Utah, and bordering states is a cold desert dominated by sagebrush. Animal Life: As in hot deserts, large numbers of plants produce small seeds on which numerous ants, birds, and rodents feed. Many species live in burrows to escape cold and to keep warm. In the Great Basin Desert, pocket mice, jackrabbits, kit fox, and coyote are common. In the Gobi Desert, wild Bactrian (two-humped) camels are found as are the only desert-inhabiting bears, Gobi bears. Effects of Humans: Agriculture is hampered because of low temperatures and low rainfall, and human populations are not extensive. If the top layer of soil is disturbed by human intrusions such as off-road vehicles, erosion occurs rapidly and even less vegetation is able to exist.
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