Deserts represent particularly hostile environments for their inhabitants. Lauritz Somme, Professor of Entomology at the University of Oslo, describes how spiders, insects and other invertebrates have adapted to these harsh conditions, focusing in particular on life in polar regions compared to that in temperate deserts.

Inhalt
1 The Climate of Arid Environments.- 1.1 Subtropical and Temperate Deserts.- 1.2 Polar Deserts.- 1.3 The Limitation of Water in Antarctic Terrestrial Ecosystems.- 1.4 Conclusions.- 2 The Fauna of Hot and Cold Arid Deserts.- 2.1 The Diversity of Hot Desert Invertebrates.- 2.2 The Fauna of Polar Regions.- 2.3 Comparison of Hot and Cold Arid Environments.- 3 Tolerance to Arid Conditions in Terrestrial Arthropods.- 3.1 Microarthropods.- 3.2 Coleoptera.- 3.3 Other Terrestrial Arthropods.- 3.4 Conclusions.- 4 The Physiology of Tolerance to Desiccation.- 4.1 Introduction.- 4.2 Evaporative Water Losses.- 4.3 The Cuticula of Terrestrial Arthropods.- 4.4 Water Absorption.- 4.5 Osmoregulation.- 4.6 Conclusions.- 5 Anhydrobiosis in Terrestrial Invertebrates.- 5.1 Introduction.- 5.2 Nematodes.- 5.3 Tardigrades.- 5.4 Rotifers.- 5.5 Terrestrial Arthropods.- 5.6 Biochemical Aspects of Anhydrobiosis.- 5.7 Conclusions.- 6 Behavioural Adaptations.- 6.1 Arthropods from Hot Deserts.- 6.2 Polar and Alpine Terrestrial Arthropods.- 7 Phenological Adaptations.- 7.1 Life Cycles.- 7.2 Diapause and Quiescence.- 8 Water Balance During Overwintering.- 8.1 Introduction.- 8.2 Choice of Overwintering Sites.- 8.3 Moisture Content of Overwintering Sites.- 8.4 Inoculative Freezing.- 8.5 The Effect of Dehydration on Cold Hardiness.- 8.6 Conclusions.- 9 Cold Hardiness in Terrestrial Arthropods.- 9.1 Introduction.- 9.2 Concepts of Cold Hardiness.- 9.3 Freeze Susceptible Species.- 9.4 Freeze Tolerant Species.- 9.5 Freeze Tolerance Versus Freeze Avoidance.- 10 Hot Desert Arthropods at Low Temperatures.- 10.1 Preadaptation to Cold.- 10.2 Cold Hardiness of Different Taxa.- 10.3 Conclusions.- 11 Cold Tolerance in Lower Invertebrates.- 11.1 Nematodes.- 11.2 Tardigrades.- 11.3 Rotifers.- 11.4 LumbricidEarthworms.- 11.5 Conclusions.- 12 Summary and Concluding Remarks.- 12.1 Deserts.- 12.2 The Fauna.- 12.3 Behaviour.- 12.4 Life Cycles.- 12.5 Terrestrial Arthropods and Aridity.- 12.6 Cold Hardiness.- 12.7 Combined Tolerance of Cold and Drought.- 12.8 Anhydrobiosis.- References.