Habitat ecology

Points on biomes,habitat,ecotone and their differentations.
also on terrestrial ,wetland,fresh water,marine habitat and their types .Explained much with pictures..so easy to remember and to take class .Hope this may help....

1. By A njusha suki

2. HABITAT ECOLOGY TERRESTRIAL HABITAT FRESH WATER HABITAT WET LAND HABITAT MARINE HABITAT

3. A habitat is an ecological or environmental area that is inhabited by a particular species of animal,plant or other type of organism. A natural environment in which an organism lives or the physical environment that surrounds a species population. Microhabitat is used to describe the small scale physical requirments of a particular organism of a population. Human habitat :house is an example,where human sleep and eat .

4. TERRESTRIAL HABITAT Concerned with the study of organisms growing on land. Only 30% land but much variable Divided into certain large and easily recognizable community units or biotic zones known as biomes.

5. FEATURE OF TERRESTRIAL HABITAT Water is much limited,dryness and scarcity of water prevails. Dehydration predominates Temperature fluctuations are great. Intensity of light is high. Oxygen and carbon dioxide is provided at constant rate. Land is discontinous with river ,valley , sea etc. Soil contain all necessary nutrients for the production of energy. Buoyancy is lesser when compared to water. Large number of producers. Atmospheric air is the source of oxygen.

6. BIOME CHARACTERRISTICS Regarded as a large climatically controlled biotic substances ecological zone with a climax community and many intermediate communities . It is a complex of communities or ecosystem which covers a large climatic zone or geographical region and share approximately same and similar habitat environmental conditions . Is an homogenous assemblage of flora and fauna with almost same type of plants and animal.Thus described as major ecosystem or major life zone . It include not only climatic climax vegetation but also edaphic climaxes and different successional stages.

7. Biomes are named on the basis of climatic conditions . eg:Tundra biome –cold climate of artic region. Concept biome upholds that all the plant and animal communities of climax zone are related to each other through their coaction and reaction. It is formed of distinctive plants and animals. Each biome has a climax community which is dominant,intermediate of biomes are present. No clear cut demarcation between adjacent communities. Adjacent communities blend in the meeting place to form a ecotone . Biome is different from ecosystem consist of both biotic and abiotic factors .

8. biome is different from an ecosystem. An ecosystem is the interaction of living and nonliving things in an environment. A biome is a specific geographic area notable for the species living there. A biome can be made up of many ecosystems. For example, an aquatic biome can contain ecosystems such as coral reefs and kelp forests.

9. WHAT IS AN ECOTONE? An ecotone is a transition area between two biomes . It is where two communities meet and integrate . It may be narrow or wide. it may be local (the zone between a field and forest) or regional (the transition between forest and grassland ecosystems ).

10. TUNDRA BIOME Refers to the treeless plain of artic region which remain marshy during summer and frozen hard in winter. Tundra stretch across N orth A merica , N orth E urope.

11. FEATURES OF TUNDRA BIOME Extremely cold climate. Low biotic diversity. Simple vegetation structure. Limitation of drainage,rainfall is low Short season of growth and reproduction. Energy and nutrients in the form of dead organic material . It lies between artic ocean and polar ice caps on the north and coniferous in south. Winter is characterised by continous darkness and summer by continous light ,but intensity is low. Frozen deeper soil called permafrost. Fauna:artic fox,polar bear ,rein deer,seals .

12. FAUNA FLORA

13. GRASSLAND BIOME Plain occupied by grasses. It form the climax community. It is also called prairies,steppes ,pampas. Found in North America,Asia,Africa

14. FEATURES OF GRASSLAND BIOME Grasses are the dominant plants . Soil is rich in humus. It is an intermediate deserts and forest. Trees are also present. Ideal home for grazing animals. Uniform vegetation. Precipitation is low. Extensive sunny and open grassy tracts. Temperature vary from summer to winter Major 3 types of grasses : Tall grasses, mid grasses , short grasses. Fauna :bison ,zebra ,ass , wild horses. Eg : pampas in South American temperate grassland.

15. FAUNA OF GRASSLAND

16. FOREST BIOME Extensive area of land with a complex assemblage of microbial,fungal,plants and animal population.

17. FEATURES OF FOREST BIOME Tree constitute the climax community. Precipitation is high. High insolation,high moisture,high humidity,optimum temperature . Consist of upper layer of leaves and branches of tree,mid layer of herbs and shrubs and the forest floor. Based on the type of plant,geographical location,forest biome is divided into 3. coniferous forest Tropical rain forest Deciduous forest

18. CONIFEROUS FOREST Thickly populated with pine trees needle like leaves. Tree leaves are evergreen Confined to northern hemisphere at high altitude . Fauna:wood pecker,crossbill,squirrels,rein deer,owl

19. Coniferous trees do not produce flowers, but grow cones to hold their seeds. have long winters and moderate to high annual precipitation. coniferous forest is called the taiga, or the boreal forest. these terms are used to describe the entire circumpolar coniferous forest with its many lakes, bogs, and rivers. Pines, spruces, firs, and larches are the dominant trees in coniferous forests. Mosses, liverworts, and lichens cover the forest floor. The light- coloured , usually acidic soils of coniferous forests are called podzols . soils are low in mineral content, organic material, and number of invertebrates such as earthworms . Major supplier of timber. Thick shade prevent the growth of herb and shrubs.

20. TROPICAL RAINFOREST Found in India, Malaysia Distinct vertical stratification .

21. High animal and vegetal biodiversity Evergreen trees Dark and sparse undergrowth interspersed with clearings Scanty litter (organic matter settling on the ground) Presence of “strangler” creepers (e.g. Ficus spp.) Presence of “buttresses” (i.e. large winged ribs at the base of trunks) and spindly roots in trees living in often-flooded areas . Humidity is high. Characterized by high rainfall , thick growth of tall trees. Fauna : snail, insects, tiger, elephant.

22. DECIDUOUS FOREST Mostly seen in Europe , Eastern china and Japan. Characterized by tall trees with broad and thin leaves which fall during winter and remain in dormant stage .

23. Deciduous forests have a long, warm growing season as one of four distinct seasons. There is abundant moisture. The soil typically is rich. The leaves dropped from trees provide a steady source of organic material for the soil. Many species live in the soil and break down the organic matter. Tree leaves are arranged in strata: canopy, understory, shrub, and ground . Three main types of trees are characteristic of these forests: northern hardwood, central hardwood, and southeast pine and oak . Show off the adaptations of drooping off and hibernation. Fauna : fox and bear.

24. DESERT BIOME Is a vast stretch of arid land with harsh and in hostile environmental conditions, scorching sun ,flashing heat waves. Barren land dispersed by bushy plant and scattered animal species. Eg : S ahara desert

25. D aytime temperatures of the desert biome are very hot, they can get very cold at night. The vegetation does not grow very tall so the desert biome can only accommodate small animals, rodents, and reptiles. These animals can escape the harsh Sun by hiding under small scrubs or hiding in burrows. Many desert animals tend to be nocturnal, sleeping during the day and coming out at night when the temperatures are more tolerable. Dust storms occur when the wind picks up dust from the surface. The plants that are able to grow in the desert biome store water in their stem. They show desert adaptations like burrowing habit , imprevious skin , excretion ,absence of sweat gland. Water holes are present.

26. The desert biome is an ecosystem that forms due to the low level of rainfall it receives each year . Deserts cover about 20% of the Earth. There are four major types of desert in this biome - hot and dry, semiarid, coastal, and cold. They are all able to inhabit plant and animal life that are able to survive there.

27. CAVE BIOME Caves are the natural hollows on the Earth. These large underground chambers can take hundreds of thousands of years to form. Found in the surface of earth ,sides of the hills ,rocks. Originated as flowing river and dissolution of lime stone

28. Fauna : platyhelminthes , worms , crickets , white footed mouse , owls ,snails. They show adaptations like loss of pigments , absence of eyes ,slender body , carnivorous habit .

29. ALTITUDINAL BIOME Mountain communities , E g : K ilimanjaro in A sia . They can be tundra , taiga or temperate type. The altitudinal biomes extend 100 meters in height from the base The highest altitudinal biome is of the alpine tundra. It occurs at the top of high mountains in which the snow is always present. It includes the Himalayas. The animals present in this area are goat, yak, wolves, snow bear, rabbit and few birds. This area is sloppier and is well drained as compared to the other areas . It has a little peat and more flowering plants with the presence of small trees.

30. TAIGA BIOME OR BOREAL BIOME is a biome characterized by coniferous forests . consisting mostly of pines, spruces, and larches. The taiga is the world's largest biome apart from the oceans. The taiga experiences relatively low precipitation throughout the year . Taiga soil tends to be young and poor in nutrients . The taiga is home to a number of large herbivorous mammals

31. Altitudinal biome

32. The name comes from the Spanish word chaparro , for evergreen oak shrubland . t is shaped by a Mediterranean climate (mild, wet winters and hot dry summers) . Chaparral covers 5% of the state of California. Fauna: coyotes, jack rabbits, mule deer, alligator lizards, horned toads . CHAPARRAL BIOME

33. Also called shrub forest. Moderate temperature,high humidity,mixed winter. Biomes of herbs and scattered trees under leaves are evergreen,thick,hard and broad. Receives more rainfall per year than desert biome.

34. FRESH WATER ECOLOGY Also called limnology. Emphasizes mainly the study of relationship between organisms and fresh water environment. It study all the aspect of physical,chemical,geological and biological of freshwater. Fresh water forms very small portion of biosphere. Two types:1,lentic habitat.(lake) 2,lotic habitat.(river)

35. CHARACTERISTICS OF FRESH WATER HABITAT Salinity:low leveled about 1.8% Salt present:nitrogen,phosphorus,silicon,potassium . Osmosis:fresh water is hypotonic,so water tends to enter the body of organisms by endoosmosis . T herefore animals adapt to pumb out the excess water. Pressure:less than marine habitat. Buoyancy:is equal to weight of water it displaces. Transparency:make the water clean even to deep by allowing light into it.

36. Thermal stratification : distribution of temperature .

37. Warm and circulating upper water. Heated by wind Homogenised by wind. Low nutrient control. Zone of high photosynthesis. Abundant planktonic life . Middle layer. Also called thermocline. Intermediate between the temperature is 21 C It is a transition zone. Decreasing temperature. Illumination of wind effect. It is bottom layer. Cool layer of water. Temperature is between 5-7 c Not heated by sun. Poor gaseous contact. Not promote photosynthesis. EPILIMINION METALIMNION HYPOLIMNION

38. LENTIC HABITAT Still or stagnant water. Movement of water is minimum. Light penetrates to bottom. Plants grow on most of the bottom. Have plenty of vegetation. They have calm water. Temperature of lentic changes with that of atmosphere.

39. Based on the depth and type of vegetation ,3 different zone can be recognized. LITTORAL ZONE LIMNETIC ZONE PROFUNDAL ZONE Shallow region near the Bank. Extends from the edge Of water column . Depth of about 6m. Comprises submerged Emergent floating,rooted Plants. Well illuminated open water,away from the shore. Dominated by planktonic +nektonic plants. Bottom and deep waters beneath the limnetic zone. No effective light penetration. Heterotrophic animals.

40. Littoral zone is divided into 2 zones namely Upper- E ulittoral zone.{comprises epiliminion } L ower – S ublittoral zone ,comprises metaliminion .}

41. LENTIC BIOTA Planktons:freefloating and drifting,may be autotrophic or heterotrophic. Neustons:organisms surviving at the air water interface. Nektons:are the swimmers.eg,hydra Periphytons:organisms attached or clinging to water plants.eg:leeches . Benthic organismsorganisms living at bottom.

42. LOTIC HABITAT Include running fresh water bodies.eg:springs . Environment of water bodies will not be same through out the year. Melting of ice,rainfall will change their flow rate. Substrata forms rocky surface. Main features of lotic ecosystem Current Land –water exchange Oxygen tension Thermal stratification .

43. CURRENT A definite and continus current of water . Mainly controlling and limiting factor. The volume of water passing at a point during a specific unit of time is called rate of flow. It may be turbulent flow or laminar flow.

44. LAND WATER EXCHANGE The depth of water column and the cross sectional area of streams are much less than those of lakes. Thus the surface area of land water junction is much higher. OXYGEN TENSION Not uniform in streams. Upper reaches are riches in oxygen. It become more slugglish in downstreams , due to progressive increase in nutrient level.

45. THERMAL STRATIFICATION It is practically absent in lotic habitat. Since the depth of water column is very small , temperature is almost same. ZONATION OF LOTIC HABITAT Flowing water zone : Deeper part of river where water flows is called flowing water zone. Riffle or rapid zone : the shallow water area with an irregular water flows or substrate of rock . Pool zone : water current is very low . calm and deep zone along sand or grave bed.it is the center of decomposition.

46. LOTIC BIOTA AND ITS ADAPTATIONS Plants-water moss ,green algae. Fauna:snails,frogs,catla . Adaptations Attachment Hooks and suckers Sticky ventral surface Streamlined body Ammontelism Encystment Postive thigmotaxis Feeding habit

47. MARINE ECOLOGY Refers to the dwelling place of organisms in sea and ocean. The study of marine organisms in relation to their environment is called oceanography.

48. Ocean constitute the largest and oldest ecosystem. Deepest part of ocean floor are called ocean trenches. Characteristics Continuity:all the seas of the world are connected. Salinity:high about 35% Stablility:in composition,temperature,nutrients . Temperature:differ in different regions of bottom ,surface. Currents:continous circulation,two type:1:equatorial :circulate in east west direction. 2:,coastal :circulate in north south direction. Tides and waves:formed by gravitational pull by moon and sun. Pressure:increases with depth. Light and dissolved oxygen.

49. Based on physical conditions,marine environment is divided into zones namely: pelagic and benthic region . PELAGIC REGION Open sea Vast coloumn of water of sea above the floor. Two horizontal region namely neritic and oceanic zone. Neritic zone Shallow water region of shore .It lies in continental shelf which is a gradual slope from the shore into the sea. Low salinity High sedimentation and turbidity Changing chemical composition .

50. Oceanic zone :open sea beyond the continental shelf. Offshore water Free from the influence terrestrial environmental factors. Divided into four Abyssopelagic Epipelagic Mesopelagic Bathyal pelagic PELAGIC ORGANISMS Collectively called pelages.Two main groups Planktons and nektons. Holoplankton : permenant plankton Meroplankton:temporary plankton

51. Plectons:large zooplankton. Floats on water. It has gas filled bladder. Eg:physalia . Neustons:float on water in association with floating film of water.

52. BENTHIC RELAM Refers to the floor of the sea Divided into 2 regions. Littoral zone Deep sea system Shallow water close to the sea shire called littoral zone. It is the lighted portion of ocean floor. Again divided into eulittoral and sub littoral. Three kind of habitats Sandy shore Muddy shore Rocky shore.

53. Is the bottom of oceanic province at about a depth of 200m-10000m. 3 regions: B athyal Abyssal H adal . It start from the continental slope. Absence of light Absence of vegetation Unchanging environment Absence of tides and waves. Highest pressure Fossilized fauna. Conquered by chemosynthetic bacteria. DEEP SEA ZONE

54. BIOTA

55. WETLAND HABITAT

56. Is a distinct ecosystem that in undated by water either seasonally or permanently where oxygen free processes prevail. Have a specific water level Types of plants. Have a water table that standard at or near the land surface for a long enough period each year to support aquatic plants. Composed of hydric soil and hydrophytes Described as ecotone as they are the transition between dry land and water bodies In coastal areas wetland include estuaries,salt marshes,mangrove . Absorb wind and tidal forces. Can be fresh water ,salt water or mix called brackish water.

57. Marine wetlands Eustarine wetland River wetland Lacustrine wetlands Paulstrine wetlands Now wetlands are destroyed by urban expansion TYPES OF WETLAND HABITAT

58. PAULSTRINE WETLAND Isolated Inland wetland not associated with lakes or reservoirs. Smaller and shallower. Include wet Meadows,bogs

59. Fresh water wetland form around the perimeter of lake reservoirs Larger than 20 acres Exposed to wave action . sediments are generally made up of fine-grained particles deposited in lakes. LACUSTRINE WETLAND

60. Found in the channels of rivers and streams. They support vegetation of tree, grasses Help to bind the soil of banks , protect the bank from erosion during flood . RIVERINE WETLAND

61. Coastal wetland where fresh and salt water mix . Breeding place of many fishes and birds. Serve as spawning ground ESTUARINE WETLAND

62. unique wetland ecosystem and a large palm- shaped,second only in size to the Vembanad estuary ecosystem of the state . Ashtamudi Wetland was included in the list of wetlands of international importance, as defined by the Ramsar Convention for the conservation and sustainable utilization of wetlands. Extensive estuarine system. Important in hydrological and industries functions. Number of mangroove and 40 associated plant species. Place of migratory birds and fishes. ASHTAMUDI WETLAND

63. an ideal habitat for shrimps Largest lake in the state. Brackish , humid,tropical wetland ecosystem. 90sps of resident birds,50sps of migratory birds. Ground water recharge helps to supply well water. Ecologicaly important in spawning area human live hood. VEMBANAD WETLAND

64. WETLAND BIOTA ,,,,NOW.?

65. BE THE REAL HEROES SAVE OUR EARTH OUR KERALAM