Types of habitat

A habitat is a auspicious place where a living organism lives or populations of the same species, whether animal, vegetable, fungus or bacteria. This concept refers only to organisms of the same species, whether individual or grouped in populations, but does not include communities composed of different species. The habitat has specific characteristics so that the body can exist and carry out its development, food and reproduction. These characteristics are classified as biotic and abiotic:

• Biotic characteristics: They include all living elements that are part of the interactions network.
• Abiotic characteristics: They refer to everything that is not alive, that is, physical and chemical factors such as temperature, atmospheric pressure, nutrients or pH, among others.

There are 3 types of habitat, classified according to their interaction with the predominant abiotic factor on which the species develops, whether water, earth or air. Next, we explain how they are classified together with examples of biomes and species that develop in them.

If you want to know more, we recommend these other articles about what the habitat is and what biomes are: types and examples.

The first type of natural habitat is the terrestrial and the organisms associated with the soil inhabit it. Here are plants, bacteria, algae, fungi and protozoa, all of them with adaptations to the common conditions of this type of habitat.

Desert

Deserts are a perfect example of terrestrial habitat types. Example of this desert terrestrial habitat is the Sonora desert, in Mexico. These types of biomes are characterized by:

• Low levels of biodiversity.
• Rains less than 25mm per year.
• Erossed soil due to lack of vegetation.
• Temperatures up to 50 ° C during the day and up to several degrees below zero during the night.

Despite this, there is species that have managed to adapt to the inclement conditions. Here are the Sahuaros, cactus with the scientific name of Gianta Carnegiea and that are adapted with a columnar structure that reduces the area to reduce the loss of perspiration in their leaves. Numerous animals feed on him, such as bats and hummingbirds. Another interesting desert species is the kangaroo rat Dipodomys Spectabiliswhich can survive without water, since it has a very specialized metabolism that can obtain this vital liquid from seeds, insects or fruit.

Rain forest

Another example of a terrestrial habitat is the jungle bioma, such as the Amazon jungle of Brazil. This bioma is characterized by abundant 2000 mm rains per year and warm temperatures of 25 ° C, which promotes thick vegetation with a reverberant amount of associated animals. This vegetation It is organized in layerseach with different heights:

• The soil layer: On this one rises the Sotobosque layer composed of shrubs and shadow plants such as Maranta Leuconeura, adapted to the minimum sun rays that cross the multiple plant layers. This plant can also close its leaves at night to avoid water loss.
• The canopy layer: gathers larger trees, as well as epiphytes with striking flowers such as orchids of the genre Zygopetalum.
• The emerging layer: composed of giant trees up to 50 meters high, such as Oblonga terminal that can support the winds of the great heights.

Here you can read more about the jungle ecosystem and its characteristics.

Many animals have the ability to separate from the ground, creating the categorization of the type of aerotherworthy habitat. They are not completely independent of the soil because the flight demands a lot of energy, so both airspace and land space dominate. In this habitat are birds and insects, which have developed adaptations to be able to challenge gravity:

• Flight structures: as a couple of wings in birds and diptera, or two pairs in insects, to rise and drive in the air.
• Flight techniques to make their displacement more efficient: where they take advantage of ascending and descending air currents generated by the temperatures difference.

These organisms move inside the troposphere, the closest atmospheric layer to the ground, since in farther layers the amount of oxygen is not enough, the pressure is too high and the very low temperatures.

Alpine tundra troposphere

Numerous bird species are usually associated with high mountains, where they are Easy to undertake the flight with the air currents that are formed, in addition to Be able to find shelters elevated to create nests away from terrestrial habitat predators.

An example of this is the Indian ANSAR ANSER indicuswhich lives in the snowy mountains of Tibet, Bioma of Tundra Alpina. This is the most high migratory bird, reaching up to 8,847 meters high. Here the winds blow at 300 kilometers per hour and oxygen begins to scarce.

These birds They have huge wings With those who plan for air currents, and this flutter helps them generate heat to avoid ice formation on their feathers. To take advantage of oxygen, they have bags where they accumulate the air To be passed through your lungs twice, thus increasing your respiratory efficiency.

If you want to know more, do not hesitate to read this articles about the tundra: characteristics, flora and fauna.

Trooposphere of the Template Forest Expimed and Oyamel Forest

Another example of animals in aeroterres habitats are monarch butterflies, Dananus Plexippus. These lepidoptera begin their life as larvae that go to caterpillars, associated with gender terrestrial algodoncillo plants Asclepias. Then they are wrapped in a chrysalide from which the butterfly arises. In autumn, butterflies leave from Canada and the United States to the temperate forests of Mexico to avoid the cold ones that are coming. He flight they undertake is 4,500 kilometers and do not stop during the trip. Their routes are very marked and new generations can even travel the same line as their predecessors.

To know more details of the monarch butterfly, you can visit this post about the migration of the monarch butterfly.

In this habitat the species adapted to aquatic life can be developed, which can be freshwater such as rivers or lakes, or salt water, such as seas, oceans or estuaries. These organisms can be both plants, marine mammals, arthropods, cephalopods, algae or cnidarians. They may be, completely adapted to underwater lifesince some can insert terrestrial habits with aquatic.

Lakes and fresh water rivers in sub -Saharan Africa

In the freshwater bioma of lakes and rivers in central Africa we find the crocodiles of the Nile, Crocodylus niloticus. Some of the characteristics of these reptiles are semiacuatic are:

• They have a surprising Physical structure: which works as an advanced machinery.
• Can dive into the water partially: His nostrils and eyes are at the top, being hidden underwater while he can see and breathe.
• Can immerse yourself completely: Here, his body is encapsulates the water, closing his throat, ears and nostrils, while his third eyelid unfolds to protect his eyes.
• It has one Predation technique Water dependent to be able to feed: since they wait for their prey to approach water to drown and be able to consume them.
• Can hunt animals aquatic: such as fish.

This crocodile is also found in bodies of water from which man is supplied and there are multiple cases of human death because of the Nile crocodiles.

Coral reefs of tropical areas

The coral reefs of tropical areas are one of the types of biomes that house a large amount of salt water biodiversity, specifically They house 25% of marine species. Coral reefs are composed of several corals, animals with rigid calcium carbonate structures forming large structures that create rich ecosystems that function as nursery for youth fish, as well as habitat for sea stars, ascidias, marine hedgehogs, tropical fish, mollusks, crustaceans, sea sponges and jellyfish.

The great coral barrier, in Australia it is an excellent example. Some of the most representative species of this reef are lute turtles Dermochelys CoriaceaDugongos Dugong Dugongs and clown fish like the Akiprion Akindynos.

If you are more curiosity, you can read this post of ecology see about what a coral reef is.

If you want to read more articles similar to Types of habitatwe recommend that you enter our category of ecosystems.