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4 Ecosystems
4.1 The Sonoran desert

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Exercise 4.1 The Sonoran desert
ecosystem
In this exercise, you will practise finding and using information in a

Focus PL
written passage. You will think about different habitats in an ecosystem.
You will also consider how different species interact with each other in
an ecosystem, and how the loss of one species could affect others.

Saguaro cacti are found only in the Sonoran desert in Arizona, USA.
They can live to be 200 years old.
Saguaro cacti grow in dry places, where it rains only occasionally.
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Their roots spread out widely, just below the soil surface. This means that
they can capture a lot of water when it rains.
They do not have leaves, because water would evaporate from them.
The plant would dry out. Instead, the cactus uses its green stems to
make food by photosynthesis.
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Saguaro cacti cannot grow in places where the temperature falls below
0°C. Their cells are killed if they freeze.
There are sharp spines on the cactus
stems, which protect them from
being eaten by animals.

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4 Ecosystems

1 Describe the habitat of the saguaro cactus.

2 Describe two ways in which the saguaro cactus is adapted to live in

this habitat.

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3 It is much colder on the mountains than in the desert. Explain why

Practice
PL
saguaro cacti cannot grow on the high mountains.

Saguaro cacti provide habitats and food for other species in the desert.
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Some species of birds, including Gila woodpeckers and gilded flickers,
use their beaks to make nest holes in their stems. After these birds have
left the nest, other birds such as elf owls use the holes. Harris hawks
make their nests of sticks where the arms of the cactus branch from the
main stem.
The cactus flowers produce pollen and nectar. These are eaten by bats,
SA

which pollinate the flowers. The flowers produce fruits after they have
been pollinated. The fruits are eaten by birds, mammals and reptiles,
such as desert tortoises.

70
Original material © Cambridge University Press 2021. This material is not final and is subject to further changes prior to publication.
 We are working with Cambridge Assessment International Education towards endorsement of this title.

4.1 The Sonoran desert

4 Use this information to suggest how the Saguaro desert ecosystem

would be affected if:
• all the Gila woodpeckers and gilded flickers died out

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• all the saguaro cacti died out.

Challenge
PL
Many parts of Arizona have plenty of rainfall. They provide habitats for
many different species of plant.
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5 Suggest why saguaro cacti do not grow in these wetter areas.
SA

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Original material © Cambridge University Press 2021. This material is not final and is subject to further changes prior