An Introduction to the Ecology of Desert Systems

This paper summarizes the ecology of the Desert systems. An ecosystem is defined as the interaction of all living organisms amongst themselves and with the environment. This concept of ecosystem has no delineated boundaries but simply it could be considered as the tussock of grasses along with its root structure, soil characteristics, soil organisms and the atmosphere around the aboveground parts. Deserts are a part of terrestrial ecosystems defined on the basis of the climatic criteria i.e. bioclimatic aridity. The desert characteristics and their features along with the people livelihood are discussed in this paper. The biome of the desert comprises of a variety of complex ecosystems with diverse and fragile groupings of plants, animals and fungi. Their management strategies should primarily focus on the best and the most judicious use of available water, either from groundwater aquifers or from rainfall.