Editing v0.34:Desert

{{av}} {{Quality|Exceptional|06:58, 14 June 2010 (UTC)}}

[[Image:Red sand desert and rocky wasteland.png‎|thumb|right|A red sand desert blending into a rocky wasteland.]]
A '''Desert''' is a very dry [[biome]]. Deserts can be found in all [[climate]]s, but are mostly common to very hot areas. Very few [[tree]]s and plants are able to grow in these barren lands. Camels are very common to this kind of biome and provide an excellent [[food]] source (whether [[One-humped camel|one]] or [[Two-humped camel|two]] humps). [[Giant desert scorpion|Fierce predators]] can also be found in deserts.

[[Caverns]] make building a fortress on a desert a whole lot easier.

== Types of Desert ==

Desert is the umbrella term for the three types of deserts you will find in Dwarf Fortress.
The three types of deserts you will find are: 

=== Badlands ===

'''Badlands''' are [[biome]]s that have [[soil]] but very little rainfall, and so have very little to offer in the way of plant life, both shrubs and trees. They are mostly [[Climate#Hot|hot]] or [[Climate#Cold|cold]] but can also have another [[climate]]. Badlands form in areas with low rainfall and high drainage.

=== Rocky wastelands ===

'''Rocky wasteland'''s are arid, barren areas rich in [[stone]]. It may be difficult to find [[soil]] or an above ground water source. Additionally trees and other plant life is usually scarce at best in these areas. Thus trees should be grown on subterranean tree farms.
For pasture, the top layer of dirt can simply be channeled through, grass will grow in the resulting pit. Wastelands form in areas with low rainfall and medium drainage.


=== Sand desert ===

'''Sand deserts''' are large and dry areas of [[sand]]. They can be difficult for a beginning player to found a [[fortress]] in, due to the fact that there are usually few [[tree]]s and [[plant]]s to be found and it may require digging several [[Z-axis|Z-layers]] deep before any [[stone]] is found.  However, similar to rocky wastelands, areas of the map can be channeled out for grass growth. The new grass tiles will even allow tree growth with enough time. Deserts form in areas with low rainfall and low drainage.


Deserts are most likely to be [[Climate#Warm|warm]] or [[Climate#Cold|cold]], but may be [[Climate#Scorching|scorching]] or [[Climate#Freezing|freezing]] as well. They are always arid, so [[Climate#Cold|cold]] deserts may only have flowing water for a few months of the year, and [[Climate#Warm|warm]] ones might have rivers that evaporate during the summer months.

== Wildlife ==

'''In neutral deserts appear:'''

* [[One-humped camel]]
* [[Two-humped camel]]
* [[Buzzard]]
* [[Vulture]]
* [[Jaguar]]
* [[Leopard]]

'''In savage deserts also appear:'''

* [[Giant desert scorpion]]
* [[Giant jaguar]]
* [[Giant leopard]]

'''In evil deserts also appear:'''

* [[Nightwing]]

{{World|Biomes}}