Practice question

Trans-Himalayan cold desert is characterized by extreme aridity due to Himalayan rain shadow preventing monsoon penetration, receiving less than 350 mm precipitation largely as snow, high solar radiation, and strong diurnal temperature amplitude exceeding 30°C. Vegetation cover less than 10% consisting of xerophytic shrubs, cushion plants, and ephemeral grasses emerging briefly after snowmelt. Soils skeletal, immature. Productivity limited by low moisture, short growing season three months, and hypoxia above 4000 meters, necessitating specialized physiological adaptations for flora and fauna survival. Mastery of this rule helps candidates differentiate closely related categories and avoid common errors in diversity questions.