Back to: CBSE Class 7 English Summary & Notes
Table of Contents
Introduction
This chapter introduces us to the desert and tells about its climate, wildlife and vegetation. It shows that despite tough living conditions, the desert also has its charms.
Summary
Any place which receives little or no rainfall and has extreme weather conditions is called a desert. A desert can be covered entirely in sand like the Thar desert or in snow like Ladakh. Unlike forests, deserts do not have much vegetation.
The flora and fauna of the desert adapts to the climate and grows accordingly. Plants like cactus grow in sand despite less rainfall because they store water in their stem. Similarly, animals like the camel also know how to survive without water for many days.
Some deserts have green island-like areas which are called oasis. An oasis has a small water body like a spring or a well which makes some vegetation grow around it. Sand dunes are a common sight in deserts where sand blown by wind gets deposited in form of mounds.
Thus, all deserts are areas with large stretches of sand or snow. This makes it difficult for much flora and fauna to thrive in such places. It is by their ability of adapting to the conditions that plants and animals survive.
Conclusion
Deserts are therefore either too hot or too cold. These extreme conditions make life difficult in such areas. But despite such harsh conditions, deserts also have beautiful landscapes with oasis and sand dunes. This is why deserts are as much a place of wonder as the deep ocean or the dense forests.
