Teach me Geography

[ender_wiggin]

Alright, I have enough common sense and introductory biology to make the obvious guesses, but I want to bounce these questions off of someone who knows what they're talking about.

In a hot climate, how does elevation change biome?
--- > Can a forest exist on the mountains when the nearby lowlands are desert?

My thought is naturally not, if rainfall is low enough to produce a tropical desert, the elevation would only make it more hospitable.

--- > Thus, is there any way a desert can exist in an area of medium to high rainfall?

--- > If I have an hourglass shaped island, and the two large ends are mountainous, and the narrow strip of land inbetween is close to sea-level, what sort of interesting terrain can I make? A desert would be preferred, but I don't want to make the entire island very inhospitable.

 

[Catavarie]

In a hot climate, how does elevation change biome?
--- > Can a forest exist on the mountains when the nearby lowlands are desert?

Yes but usully only in the presence of a spring or Oasis

--- > Thus, is there any way a desert can exist in an area of medium to high rainfall?

Nope, the definition of a desert is an area with limited precipitation, you could make it magical though

--- > If I have an hourglass shaped island, and the two large ends are mountainous, and the narrow strip of land inbetween is close to sea-level, what sort of interesting terrain can I make? A desert would be preferred, but I don't want to make the entire island very inhospitable.

Instead of a desert, why not use a plain; they are usually flat or have short rolling hills, and can have anything from short grass barely 3 inches high up to grasses that can grow up to 6 feet, think about the National Geographic pictures of a Safari in Africa. Just my Suggestions

 

[ender_wiggin]

How big of a forest would a spring or oasis support?

 

[Catavarie]

Depending upon amount of water depends on the amount of flora that could spring up, a small spring that just bubbles up from a hole in the ground can't support much, but a multiple springs which all feed into a pond or lake could support a quite diverse ecosystem, and hey, don't forget its Fantasy a little bit of magic can change it all, maybe the little spring that barely bubbles up is full of Life Giving Water, such as the Fountain of Youth and it causes a Jungle to sprout up around it with no other source of water for hundreds of miles, anything is possible with magic.

 

[adwyn]

Forested mountains in deserts are rare but not unheard of, the Atlas mountains are the closest I can think of. They "catch" some moisture that might otherwise go by, but are still quite dry.

A desert in the low area is unlikely, but if you went with Catavarie's suggestion and made it a plain there can still be wet and dry times, and many savanna/grassland areas might as well be a desert come the dry time. Even if it only lasts a few months that'll be the time the PC's show up. Dry rivers and muddy water holes where the predators have concentrated make for fun encounters. Imagine, "Your fight with the crocodiles has disturbed the hippos. Their stampeding over you wakens the dragon turtle and alerts the sphynx."

 

[smootrk]

I live in Colorado Springs, which is almost categorized as "High Desert". They even have drought restrictions on water consumption here.

As I look at the Front Range (CO Springs is right on the edge between the Rocky Mountains and the Great Plains), they are covered with forests.

I have also lived in Las Vegas. There are may trees on the larger mountains of the region (Mount Charleston as example).

I am no Environmentalist or Geologist or whatever, but I would have to say that elevation up to a certain point (treeline) is actually good for forest growth.

 

[Catavarie]

Imagine, "Your fight with the crocodiles has disturbed the hippos. Their stampeding over you wakens the dragon turtle and alerts the sphynx."

Ouch! Thats just mean...I like it

 

[Hand of Evil]

Alright, I have enough common sense and introductory biology to make the obvious guesses, but I want to bounce these questions off of someone who knows what they're talking about.

In a hot climate, how does elevation change biome?
--- > Can a forest exist on the mountains when the nearby lowlands are desert?

My thought is naturally not, if rainfall is low enough to produce a tropical desert, the elevation would only make it more hospitable.

Take a look at Califorina. LA is a desert, most rain falls in the mountains and the northern part of the state.

--- > Thus, is there any way a desert can exist in an area of medium to high rainfall?

--- > If I have an hourglass shaped island, and the two large ends are mountainous, and the narrow strip of land inbetween is close to sea-level, what sort of interesting terrain can I make? A desert would be preferred, but I don't want to make the entire island very inhospitable.

Season rain, IF rain fall is massive during a single season but hot and desert like four times a year. This means your desert could really be a dry sea.

You may also want to look at the Hawaii islands for ideas.

 

[CarlZog]

--- > If I have an hourglass shaped island, and the two large ends are mountainous, and the narrow strip of land inbetween is close to sea-level, what sort of interesting terrain can I make? A desert would be preferred, but I don't want to make the entire island very inhospitable.

Catalina Island off the coast of California is a perfect example of this. There is a super narrow spit connecting two taller, mountainous areas. Connecting terrain is sandy and rocky.

If the isthmus was lower, I could also imagine a marshy area, similar to that at on Conanicut Island in Rhode Island, which ALMOST washes over completely at high tide:

.

 

[ender_wiggin]

Thanks.

How would an area of desert (if on an island) meet the coastline?