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
Anjusha suki

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

4. • 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.

5. 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.

6. 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.

7. 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.

8. • 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.

9. 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.

10. 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).

11. TUNDRA BIOME
• Refers to the treeless plain of artic region which remain
marshy during summer and frozen hard in winter.
• Tundra stretch across North America ,North Europe.

12. 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.

13. FAUNA
FLORA

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

15. 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.

16. FAUNA OF GRASSLAND

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

18. 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.
1. coniferous forest
2. Tropical rain forest
3. Deciduous forest

19. 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

20. • 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.

21. TROPICAL RAINFOREST
• Found in India, Malaysia
• Distinct vertical stratification.

22. • 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.

23. 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.

24. • 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.

25. 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 : Sahara desert

26. • Daytime 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.

27. • 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.

28. 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

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

30. ALTITUDINAL BIOME
• Mountain communities , Eg : Kilimanjaro in Asia .
• 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.

31. 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

32. Altitudinal biome

33. • 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

34. • 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.

35. 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)

36. 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 .
Therefore 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.

37. • Thermal stratification : distribution of
temperature.

38. • 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

39. 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.

40. 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.

41. • Littoral zone is divided into 2 zones namely
1. Upper- Eulittoral zone.{comprises
epiliminion }
2. Lower –Sublittoral zone ,comprises
metaliminion.}

42. 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.

43. 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
1. Current
2. Land –water exchange
3. Oxygen tension
4. Thermal stratification.

44. 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.

45. 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.

46. 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
1. Flowing water zone : Deeper part of river where water
flows is called flowing water zone.
2. Riffle or rapid zone : the shallow water area with an
irregular water flows or substrate of rock .
3. Pool zone : water current is very low . calm and deep
zone along sand or grave bed.it is the center of
decomposition.

47. 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

48. 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.

49. • 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.

51. • 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.

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

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

54. BENTHIC RELAM
• Refers to the floor of the sea
• Divided into 2 regions.
1. Littoral zone
2. 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
1. Sandy shore
2. Muddy shore
3. Rocky shore.

55. • Is the bottom of oceanic province at about a depth of
200m-10000m.
• 3 regions:
1. Bathyal
2. Abyssal
3. Hadal.
• 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

56. BIOTA

58. WETLAND HABITAT

59. • 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.

60. 1. Marine wetlands
2. Eustarine wetland
3. River wetland
4. Lacustrine wetlands
5. Paulstrine wetlands
• Now wetlands are destroyed by urban expansion
TYPES OF WETLAND HABITAT

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

62. • 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

63. • 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

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

65. • 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

66. • 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

67. WETLAND BIOTA ,,,,NOW.?