DEINSTE is a desert planet with an ecology that is driven by highly-localized random precipitation.  Every day, a different few acres of land receives a generous rainfall, which collects in depressions of the rocky soil to form a temporary oasis.  The fast-growing plant life native to Deinste immediately takes advantage of this moisture to germinate from dormant seeds, flower, and propagate.  All animal life must then chase after these oases in order to survive.  They are aided in this by avian creatures that are usually the first to spot the next downpour and fly towards it with shrieking cries.  The humans who live on Deinste live in mobile fortresses called "stades".  Bowl-shaped and the size of a small village, they move forward on motorized tracks.  If they are able to arrive at their destination before the rain stops, it will fill the bottom of the stade, so habitation begins at a higher level.  Deinsters are a throroughly caste-oriented society.  If your father was a front-track-maintenance-technician, that is your job as well.  Careful management of population growth is therefore essential, with discreet adoptions taking place when absolutely necessary.