Introductory Chapter: Global Aspects and Scientific Importance of Desert Ecological Research

Abstract

If ecologists or environmental scientists are talking about desert ecological research, then almost everyone is thinking about specific desert flora [1–5], fauna [6, 7], or desertification itself as a consequence of climate change [8, 9], or sand dunes-triggered disasters [10]. In fact, the importance of ecological research in deserts is far more general and wider. For deeper understanding of this importance need to overview the definition of deserts from different viewpoints, the real areas of deserts, and some basic production biological data.