Editing Desert (section)

== Types of Desert ==
*'''Erg''': Sandy deserts, an ever-shifting landscape of dunes. Easy to get lost in one if you don't have a compass.
*'''Rocky Deserts aka Hamada''': There's not an overwhelming amount of sand, but there is a lot of gravel and boulders.
*'''Semi Arid aka Steppe''': Basically Desert Lite. It's still a parched climate but there's just enough rainfall to support hearty grass and shrubs, as well as hard agriculture. Semi-arid climates can be further broken down into the following categories:
:*'''Hot Semi-Arid''': hot and dry grasslands with sparse tree coverage and few patches of water. These are on the borders of full-on deserts in the tropics.
:*'''Cold Semi-Arid''': cooler grasslands, usually found at high elevations deep in the continental interior. May experience snow in the winter, but in limited amounts.
*'''Polar Ice Shelves''': Yes. On a polar ice shelf you are standing on top of a kilometer of water. But it's still an environment where the necessities of life are otherwise exceedingly thin on the ground. And while a polar desert isn't ''technically'' devoid of water, its lacking in water that any plant life or land animals can drink.

===Desert Topographic features===
*'''Mesa''': Once a large outcropping of rock (like a crag) worn down to an almost perfectly flat surface by wind erosion. 
*'''Oasis'''': A place where there's water in an otherwise dry environment.
*'''Rivers''': Of course, rivers are not unique to deserts. Nevertheless, a river flowing through a desert can have a major effect. Within a short distance of a river, you can have a nice fertile stretch.
*'''Desert Flora''': Flora is sparse on the ground and those which do are fortified against harsh conditions. The most common are thick grasses, succulents, cacti, etc. They often have deep roots to get as much water as they can, thick leaves, and horny and waxy coats. When it does rain, some deserts will transform overnight into massive fields of flowers that last for only days.
*'''Dune Sea''': massive heaps of sand. Navigating dunes can be difficult at the best of times, and outright dangerous when a sandstorm rolls in and potentially buries you. See Erg.