What isisTerrestrial

What biome? Ecosystem?

Terrestrial Ecosystem
It is a type of ecosystem found only in biomes also known as beds.

Biome
It is a community of plants that have common characteristics for the environment they exist in.
they can be found over a range of continents
 Forest ecosystem
-Forest ecosystems are areas of the landscape that are dominated by trees and consist of biologically
integrated communities of plants, animals and microbes, together with the local soils and atmospheres
with which they interact.

-According to their distance from the equator, they can be classified into three major types –
tropical forest ecosystem, temperate forest ecosystem and boreal forest ecosystem.
Desert ecosystem

Desert is one of the most dried land areas on this planet that receives very
little precipitation annually. It is a land with very less rainfall throughout the
year measured less than 50 cm a year.
Desert ecosystem is the driest ecosystem of the earth and this is the reason
it has less vegetation and less diversity of life. It is one of the parts of the
terrestrial ecosystem. The plants and animals of the desert ecosystem have
mastered the art of survival in harsh conditions. A desert ecosystem is
basically devoid of any rainfall or precipitation.
 Characteristic of desert
Aridity

It is the common characteristic of all the deserts on the earth. Aridity simply implies the deficiency of moisture’s or dryness.
Desert experience very less rainfall and thus result in aridity.

Extreme temperature

Desert ecosystems experience extreme temperatures during day and night. The days are very hot and the nights can be
extremely cold. It is the sole characteristic of all the desert ecosystems either hot or cold all lacks moisture.

Velocity of wind

It tends to be very high in a desert ecosystem. This is the reason deserts experience sandstorms/ dust storms of high intensity
resulting in the formation of huge sand dunes.

Scarcity of water

Due to less rainfall, there is a shortage of water in a desert ecosystem. Due to the scarcity of water deserts have to face the
situation of drought half of the year.
 Characteristic of desert
Humidity

The humidity level in a desert ecosystem is very low in the daytime and relatively high at night.

The quality of the soil

In deserts is very low to grow vegetation. It is dry, rocky, thin, sandy, mainly grey in color and has no organic contents
like nitrogen, phosphorus etc which are essential for the growth of plants.

Biodiversity in a desert ecosystem

However, the survival in a desert ecosystem is very hard but despite the fact, deserts are home to various plants and
animals. The plants and animals have adapted to survive in the harsh and extreme conditions of the desert.

The population density

Density Is very low in deserts and nearby areas as there is there a scarcity of water, food and climatic conditioner are
too harsh.
Grassland
ecosystem
Grassland Ecosystem is an area where the vegetation is dominated by grasses and
other herbaceous plants. It is also called transitional landscape because grassland
ecosystems are dominated by the grass with few or no trees in the area where there is
not enough for a forest and too much of a forest.
1. Abiotic Components: These are non-living thing components consist of carbon, hydrogen, sulfur,
nitrogen and phosphorous etc.
2. Biotic Components: These are living components and their sub-components:

(a) Primary consumers: These feed directly from the grasses (grazing) and include herbivores such
as Cows, Buffaloes, Goats, Rabbits, Mouse etc. and also insects, termites, centipede, millipedes etc.
(b) Secondary consumers: These consumers are the carnivorous animals such as snakes, lizard,
jackal, foxes, frogs etc. which feed on the primary consumers.
(c) Tertiary consumers: Hawk, Eagles and vultures constitute the tertiary consumer in the grassland
ecosystem which preys upon the secondary and primary consumer.

3.Decomposers: The organic matter of the grassland is decomposed by the microbes like
actinomycetes, fungi (Mucor, Aspergillus, Rhizopus, Penicillium, and Cladosporium), aerobic and
anaerobic soil bacteria etc. They release the minerals back into the soil thus making the soil fertile.
Tundra ecosystem

Tundra is the coldest of all the biomes. Tundra comes from the Finnish
word tunturi, meaning treeless plain. It is noted for its frost-molded
landscapes, extremely low temperatures, little precipitation, poor
nutrients, and short growing seasons. Dead organic material functions
as a nutrient pool.
Characteristics of tundra
• Extremely cold climate
• Low biotic diversity
• Simple vegetation structure
• Limitation of drainage
• Short season of growth and reproduction
• Energy and nutrients in the form of dead organic material
• Large population oscillations
• eristics of tundra
Tundra is separated into two types:
Arctic tundra
Alpine tundra
Arctic tundra
-Arctic tundra classified as Arctic tundra is located in the northern hemisphere, encircling
the north pole and extending south to the coniferous forests of the taiga. The arctic is
known for its cold, desert-like conditions.
All of the plants are adapted to sweeping winds and disturbances of the soil. Plants are
short and group together to resist the cold temperatures and are protected by the snow
during the winter. They can carry out photosynthesis at low temperatures and low light
intensities. The growing seasons are short and most plants reproduce by budding and
division rather than sexually by flowering.
Alpine tundra
• Alpine tundra is located on mountains throughout the world at high altitude
where trees cannot grow. The growing season is approximately 180 days. The
nighttime temperature is usually below freezing. Unlike the arctic tundra, the
soil in the alpine is well drained.
 Aquatic Ecosystems

• Aquatic ecosystems include oceans, lakes, rivers, streams, estuaries, and

wetlands. Within these aquatic ecosystems are living things that depend on the
water for survival, such as fish, plants, and microorganisms. These ecosystems
are very fragile and can be easily disturbed by pollution.
• All living things within an ecosystem share the same watershed. A watershed is an
area of land over which water flows to reach a common body of water such as a lake
or pond. We all live in a watershed, or drainage basin. Watersheds can be as large as
the Mississippi River drainage basin or as small as a farm with a pond. Your
• watershed may be made up of mountains, farms, houses, businesses, or towns. You
share your watershed with all other living things within the ecosystem.
• All living things within an ecosystem share the same watershed. A watershed is an
area of land over which water flows to reach a common body of water such as a lake
or pond. We all live in a watershed, or drainage basin. Watersheds can be as large as
the Mississippi River drainage basin or as small as a farm with a pond. Your
watershed may be made up of mountains, farms, houses, businesses, or towns. You
share your watershed with all other living things within the ecosystem.
 Examples of living Animal in Aquatic Ecosystems:
1.Marine Ecosystem
• The marine ecosystem covers more than 70% of the Earth’s surface.
The marine ecosystem provides a wide range of habitat for flora and
fauna of the marine aquatic system that ranges from seashores to
the deep seabed. It is a home for millions of species.
 Water in the marine ecosystem?
• We know the earth as a blue planet. Well, the most credit goes to the water
bodies present on the Earth’s surface. Almost ¾ part of Earth’s surface is
occupied by water, out of which approximately 90% is covered by marine water
bodies like seas and oceans . We call it marine water due to its saline nature
i.e., the saltiness of the water. Marine water contains approximately 96.5% pure
water, and the rest 3.5% are the dissolved compounds such as chlorine, sodium,
magnesium, sulfur, calcium, potassium, etc. However, the salinity of the marine
ecosystem not only depends on these dissolved compounds but on other
factors as well, like the latitude, erosion, atmospheric activity, depth, volcanic
activity, biological activity, and etc.
Living Animals in Marine Ecosystem Common Examples are:
whales, sharks, jellyfish, and plankton
 Freshwater Ecosystem

Freshwater ecosystems occur in in-land bodies of water and may either be

flowing, standing, or man-made. Rivers and streams, lakes and reservoirs, and
artificial fishponds are examples that fall into the three respective categories. All
of these are distinguished by low-salinity water that flow from the natural
rainwater catch basins created by forests.
Freshwater ecosystems serve many practical benefits to people, including being a
cheap and convenient source of water for domestic and industrial use, a natural
waste disposal system, and a reservoir for the natural water cycle. Freshwater
bodies also can serve as transport route.
The habitats that freshwater ecosystems provide consist of lakes, rivers, ponds,
wetlands, streams, and springs.
Most Common Examples of Freshwater Animals:

Snails, worms, turtles, frogs, marsh birds, mollusks, alligators, beavers, otters,
snakes, and some types of fish.