⁠⁠Facts about Cold Deserts: Classification, Characteristics and Global Distribution

Cold deserts are arid habitats, considered among the most extreme biomes on earth. These are the regions that receive less than 25 cm of annual precipitation and are characterised by extreme cold, high altitudes and sparse vegetation. They are also known as temperate deserts because they lie in earth’s temperate zone between 30° to 50° latitude. Some of the major characteristics and facts about cold deserts are explained in this article.

Table of Contents 

• What is Cold Desert
• Classification of Cold Desert
• Characteristics of Cold Deserts
• How is the Cold Desert Different from a Hot Desert
• Distribution of Cold Desert in the World

What is Cold Deseret

Cold desert is the region with mild temperatures and shrubby plants. Unlike the hot sandy deserts these low altitude deserts do not have extremely hot summers. They have extremely cold winters and low shrubby vegetation. The Great Basin in the USA is a cold winter desert.

Classification of Cold Deserts

Dry Temperate Zone: This zone of a cold desert has unique vegetation and plant species such as betula utilis and salix spp. These species of plants have evolved to grow in such harsh weather conditions of cold deserts.

Alpine Zone: With sub-zero temperature these arid regions in higher altitudes support highly resistant plants species and rare wildlife. Some of the rare plant species growing in such desert zones are juniper and birch trees.

Perpetual Snow Zone: At the highest elevations are the perpetual snow zones with permanent frozen soil and no plantation. These barren frozen lands have very low temperatures that don't let the snow melt.

Characteristics of Cold Deserts

Temperature: Most of the time the temperature in cold deserts remains below 0°C. The winters are severe and temperature drops as low as -40°C to -60°C. This prevents plants from absorbing water thus causing the arid conditions.

Precipitation: The cold desert areas receive very little annual precipitation ranging from 15 to 25 cm mainly in the form of snow. Lower humidity and cold air makes it more dry and unsuitable for plants to absorb this water.

Vegetation: The weather and soil are not suitable for plant growth. Only low-growing shrubs are rare plant species such as sagebrush, saxaul trees and cushion plants are found in these areas. Mosses, lichens and biological soil crusts play a disproportionately important role in cold desert ecosystems, by stabilizing soil and retaining nitrogen.

Fauna: With cryptic wildlife, cold deserts have some diverse animal species such as bactrian camels, gobi bear and snow leopard. Some of the animal species such as jerboa and vole have evolved to sustain in cold climatic conditions and adapted to food scarcity. 

How is the Cold Desert Different from a Hot Desert

Feature	Cold Desert	Hot Desert
Temperature Range	−40°C to 21°C  extreme seasonal variation	10°C to 49°C  less extreme annual swings
Precipitation	Mainly snow and occasional rain; 15–26 cm per year	Rare rainfall of 25 cm per year or even less
Primary Location	Interior continents, high altitudes, polar regions	Tropical and subtropical belts, rain shadows
Soil Type	Compacted, rocky or icy	Sandy, gravelly or rocky Saline in some areas
Dominant Vegetation	Sparse shrubs, grasses, mosses, lichens	Cacti, succulents, drought-tolerant scrub
Animal Adaptations	Thick fur/fat, hibernation, migration	Nocturnal behaviour, water-storage physiology
Key Examples	Gobi, Atacama (highlands), Antarctic, Great Basin	Sahara, Arabian, Sonoran, Australian Outback

Distribution of Cold Desert in the World

Great Basin, North America: Spanning around 190,000 miles, this cold desert in the USA is characterised by low precipitation, cold winters and scorching summers. It is one of the driest places on earth with the Andes mountains and Pacific Ocean contributing to extreme aridity.

Gobi Desert, Eurasia: A mix of rocky terrain, sand dunes and gravel plains this cold desert is located in Northern China and Southern Mongolia. It is home to some of the unique animals and plants species such as Bactrian camels and snow leopards. 

Namib Desert, Africa: This cold desert is well known for its towering sand dunes such as the iconic red dunes of Sossusvlei. This desert supports survival of unique plants and animals species like camel thorn trees and nara melons.

Ladakh, India: Located in the northern part of India near the Tibetan plateau, this cold desert is a mix of high altitude landscapes, rugged mountains and picturesque valleys. Some of the unique species found in this region include yak and bactrian camels in Nubra valley.