What features do a desert and rainforest have in common and hows it affect what lives there?

Question

What features (biotic and abiotic) do deserts and rainforests have in common? And how important are these factors in influencing the types of communities that exist there?

Answer 1

Here are two links that deal with the features of a desert and the rain forest. Please click and check the content if they can be helpful........

http://www.s-cool.co.uk/topic_principles...

In general, the common features are

1. both ecosystem seem to be fertile but for a specific kind of plants and living habitants;

2. Though there is a difference in soil property ( desert is with less humus), both are fertile.

Of course, desert is fertile for specific plants like cacti. But the common feature is life can exist as in a rainforest.

3. Rainforest seems to be rich in bio-diversity due to existence of various plants, birds and animals but desert can be also home to various living species, but of specific kind resistant to abiotic and biotic factors existing there.  

4. Both eco system can be rich in sources of ecoomical importance for human, for example desert are sources for oil andsome rare minerals

5. As far temperature, humidity and other abiotic factors are  concerned, rain forest as well as desert both are suitable for life and types of communities that live there. However, there may be difference in the type of inhabitance......

And, there are so many  other hundred of points which can be listed like this way to see some common features between desert and rainforest.

But I thinks these two following links may help you better to make a few more points................

Feature of Rainforest--> ( Ecosystem)

http://www.s-cool.co.uk/topic_quicklearn...

Feature of a desert-->

http://www.s-cool.co.uk/topic_quicklearn...