Category Nature Science & Wildlife

HOW DO THE MAIN ECOSYSTEMS DIFFER?

Terrestrial ecosystems are many because there are so many different sorts of places on Earth. Some of the most common terrestrial ecosystems that are found are the following:

Rainforests – Rainforests usually have extremely dense ecosystems because there are so many different types of animals all living in a very small area.

Tundra – As mentioned above, tundra usually have relatively simple ecosystems because of the limited amount of life that can be supported in these harsh conditions.

Deserts – Quite the opposite of tundra in many ways, but still harsh, more animals live in the extreme heat than live in the extreme cold of Antarctica, for instance.

Savannas – These differ from deserts because of the amount of rain that they get each year. Whereas deserts get only a tiny amount of precipitation every tea, savannas tend to be a bit wetter which is better for supporting more life.

Forests – There are many different types of forests all over the world including deciduous forests and coniferous forests. These can support a lot of life and can have very complex ecosystems.

Grasslands – Grasslands support a wide variety of life and can have very complex and involved ecosystems.

Since there are so many different types of terrestrial ecosystems, it can be difficult to make generalizations that cover them all.

Because terrestrial ecosystems are so diverse, it is difficult to make generalizations about them. However, a few things are true almost all of the time. For instance, most contain herbivores that eat plants (that get their sustenance from the sun and the soil) and all have carnivores that eat herbivores and other carnivores. Some places, such the poles, contain mainly carnivores because not plant life grows. A lot of animals and plants that grow and live in terrestrial ecosystems also interact with freshwater and sometimes even ocean ecosystems.

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WHERE ARE THE MAIN ECOSYSTEMS OF THE WORLD?

The map below shows the main ways in which the Earth can be divided into different ecosystems. These are based mainly on the kind of plants that grow in an area, as all other living things rely directly or indirectly on plants for their food. Of course, there are many smaller ecosystems within these broad divisions.

An ecosystem consists of all the living and non-living things in a specific natural setting. Plants, animals, insects, microorganisms, rocks, soil, water and sunlight are major components of many ecosystems. All types of ecosystems fall into one of two categories: terrestrial or aquatic. Terrestrial ecosystems are land-based, while aquatic are water-based. The major types of ecosystems are forests, grasslands, deserts, tundra, freshwater and marine. The word “biome” may also be used to describe terrestrial ecosystems which extend across a large geographic area, such as tundra. Keep in mind, however, that within any ecosystem, specific features vary widely – for instance, an oceanic ecosystem in the Caribbean Sea will contain vastly different species than an oceanic ecosystem in the Gulf of Alaska.

Forest Ecosystems

Forest ecosystems are classified according to their climate type as tropical, temperate or boreal. In the tropics, rainforest ecosystems contain more diverse flora and fauna than ecosystems in any other region on earth. In these warm, moisture-laden environments, trees grow tall and foliage is lush and dense, with species inhabiting the forest floor all the way up to the canopy. In temperate zones, forest ecosystems may be deciduous, coniferous or oftentimes a mixture of both, in which some trees shed their leaves each fall, while others remain evergreen year-round. In the far north, just south of the Arctic, boreal forests – also known as taiga – feature abundant coniferous trees.

Grassland Ecosystems

Different types of grassland ecosystems can be found in prairies, savannas and steppes. Grassland ecosystems are typically found in tropical or temperate regions, although they can exist in colder areas as well, as is the case with the well-known Siberian steppe. Grasslands share the common climactic characteristic of semi-aridity. Trees are sparse or nonexistent, but flowers may be interspersed with the grasses. Grasslands provide an ideal environment for grazing animals.

Desert Ecosystems

The common defining feature among desert ecosystems is low precipitation, generally less than 25 centimeters, or 10 inches, per year. Not all deserts are hot – desert ecosystems can exist from the tropics to the arctic, but regardless of latitude, deserts are often windy. Some deserts contain sand dunes, while others feature mostly rock. Vegetation is sparse or nonexistent, and any animal species, such as insects, reptiles and birds, must be highly adapted to the dry conditions.

Tundra Ecosystems

As with deserts, a harsh environment characterizes ecosystems in the tundra. In the snow-covered, windswept, treeless tundra, the soil may be frozen year-round, a condition known as permafrost. During the brief spring and summer, snows melt, producing shallow ponds which attract migrating waterfowl. Lichens and small flowers may become visible during this time of year. The term “tundra” most commonly denotes polar areas, but at lower latitudes, tundra-like communities known as alpine tundra may be found at high elevations.

Freshwater Ecosystems

Freshwater ecosystems can be found in streams, rivers, springs, ponds, lakes, bogs and freshwater swamps. They are subdivided into two classes: those in which the water is nearly stationary, such as ponds, and those in which the water flows, such as creeks. Freshwater ecosystems are home to more than just fish: algae, plankton, insects, amphibians and underwater plants also inhabit them.

Marine Ecosystems

Marine ecosystems differ from freshwater ecosystems in that they contain saltwater, which usually supports different types of species than does freshwater. Marine ecosystems are the most abundant types of ecosystems in the word. They encompass not only the ocean floor and surface but also tidal zones, estuaries, salt marshes and saltwater swamps, mangroves and coral reefs.

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WHICH MAMMAL IS THE FASTEST?

          The cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) can reach 105km/h (68mph) when sprinting over a short distance. For animals, fast speed often means survival. It means outrunning predators or catching prey. In order to be fast, every physiological characteristic is important. The ratio of height and weight, flexibility, and respiratory functioning are all things that affect speed. This article identifies the fastest mammals in the world and what makes them so fast.

          The cheetah is the fastest mammal on earth and can reach speeds of 68 to 75 miles per hour (mph). Though not the best for endurance, they run in short burst of 60 seconds or so. This feline is built for speed. They have large nasal passages that lead to large lungs, even the heart is enlarged to allow for maximum oxygen in the blood. Cheetahs use their tail for balance and spend more time with their paws in the air than on the ground while running.

          The second fastest mammal on earth never runs on the ground. The Free-tailed bat soars through the nighttime air at 60 mph and it is their “free” or unattached tail that allows them to reach such speeds. They inhabit every continent except Antarctica.

          After the Free-tailed bat is the Pronghorn, a graceful antelope that reaches speeds of up to 55 mph. While this antelope cannot outrun a cheetah in a head to head race, it can run for longer periods of time. That makes this mammal the fastest over long distances and the fastest in the Western Hemisphere. They are native to North America and live in wide, open grasslands. Scientists believe the Pronghorn evolved such high speeds to outrun predators. They share some of the same physical features as the cheetah: enlarged nasal passages, lungs, and heart.

          Sharing the number 3 spot on the list of the fastest mammals is the Springbok, an African antelope. This animal reaches the same speeds as the Pronghorn, 55 mph, though it cannot sustain over long distances.

          Number 4 on the list is the Wildebeest, another species of antelope. These mammals run up to speeds of 50 mph which allows them to escape lions, hyenas, cheetahs and leopards. Although more than their speed, it is their herding behavior that helps protect them from predators. Every year, wildebeests make a long migration following the pattern of rainy and dry seasons.

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DO ALL MAMMALS GIVE BIRTH TO LIVE YOUNG?

          Most mammal babies develop inside their mothers until they are ready to be born. The exceptions are the monotremes, a small group of mammals found in Australia. Like most reptiles, they lay eggs rather than giving birth to live young. Perhaps the best known of these is the duck-billed platypus.

          Of course, the platypus isn’t really a mixture of these other creatures. It just looks like it! The platypus is a semi-aquatic mammal native to Australia (including Tasmania) and Papua New Guinea.

          Along with four species of echidna (a mammal that looks a bit like a porcupine), the platypus is one of only five species of monotremes in the world. Monotremes are mammals that lay eggs instead of giving birth to live young.

          The platypus has a bill like a duck, a tail like a beaver, the skin and feet of an otter, and venom like a snake. These features truly make the platypus one of the most unique creatures on Earth. In fact, when the platypus was first discovered hundreds of years ago, scientists at the time thought it was an elaborate hoax.

          The name “platypus” comes from the Greek word for “flat-footed.” The male platypus has special spurs on its hind feet that it can use to defend itself by injecting painful venom into a predator. Although the venom isn’t deadly to humans, it can cause severe pain.

          The platypus can walk and run on land, but it moves awkwardly. Its webbed feet and waterproof skin help it to live much of the time in the water, where it feeds on insects, shellfish, worms, and other small creatures at the bottom of bodies of water.

          The platypus is mostly nocturnal and can spend up to 10 hours at a time in the water, searching for food. When it’s done swimming, the platypus likes to live in a burrow dug into the bank of a nearby body of water.

          The female platypus lays one or two eggs each season. When a baby platypus emerges from its shell, it’s about the size of a lima bean. Its mother will take care of it for three months or so until it’s ready to head out into the world on its own.

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WHY ARE SOME MAMMALS’ BABIES ABLE TO RUN ALMOST AS SOON AS THEY ARE BORN?

          Almost all mammal babies grow inside their mother until they are able to breathe and feed outside, but mammal babies differ very much in the kind of help they need after birth. Human babies, for example, need the attention of their parents for many years before they are able to fend for themselves completely. Most grazing animals, on the other hand, have adapted to life on wide, open grasslands, where they are constantly at risk from attack by predators. It is important that these animals give birth to young that can stand on their own feet and run from danger almost immediately.

          Spring is the perfect time for baby animals to be born! Many animals have babies in the spring since the warmer weather makes it is easier for them to find food to feed them. Warmer weather also makes it easier for small babies to survive. Polar bears, which live in climates that are always very cold, actually have their babies during the winter while they are hibernating. When spring comes and warms things up a little, a mother bear will bring her cubs out of their cozy den for the first time and teach them how to find food for themselves. Other kinds of bears and some other large mammals also have babies during the winter, since they can nurse their babies and not have to leave their den to find food.

          There are lots of different kinds of animals living on earth. That means that there lots of very different kinds of baby animals! Even though we usually think of babies as being small and helpless when they are first born, that isn’t true for all animals. Some animals are very large even when they’re first born. Sometimes even the smallest ones are able to live on their own without any help from their parents when they are born. Keep reading to learn about some different kinds of animals and different ways that their babies are born and cared for.

          Mammals are animals that have hair or fur, are warm-blooded, and feed their babies with milk. Mammals give live birth, meaning that their babies are born from the mother’s body instead of hatching from an egg. However, there are two animals that lay eggs but are still considered mammals! They are echidnas and platypuses. Humans, elephants, cats, mice, pigs, rhinoceroses, gorillas, and many other animals are all mammals. Some are huge and some are tiny.

          Marsupials such as kangaroos, koalas, wombats, and opossums are mammals, too! When baby marsupials are born, they are very tiny and not as well developed as other mammal babies. They live in a fur-lined pouch on the outside of their mother’s belly where they nurse (drink milk) and stay safe and warm until they are big enough to come out. Even after the babies can come out of their mother’s pouch, they will still ride around on her back while they grow and learn how to survive on their own. Marsupial babies are called joeys. Almost all marsupials are nocturnal, which means they are awake at night and sleep during the day. Australia is home to most kinds of marsupials, but opossums do live in other parts of the world. In fact, the only marsupial that lives in North America is the Virginia Opossum, which can have up to 13 babies at once!

          Reptiles are cold-blooded, have backbones, have skin covered with scales, have claws on their feet, and baby reptiles’ hatch from eggs. A few kinds of snakes and lizards give live birth to their babies, but most lay eggs. Reptiles are born looking like smaller versions of their parents and are on their own almost as soon as they hatch. Their parents do not stay around to take care of them, because they aren’t really needed.

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WHY IS IT AN ADVANTAGE TO HAVE WARM BLOOD?

          Warm-blooded animals are able to control their internal temperature to a greater degree than cold-blooded animals, so that they are less dependent on the temperature of their surroundings. While reptiles slow down when the weather is cold, mammals are able to lead an active life. Mammals have adapted to life in all parts of the world where there is food for them to eat.

          Warm-blooded creatures, like mammals and birds, try to keep the inside of their bodies at a constant temperature. They do this by generating their own heat when they are in a cooler environment, and by cooling themselves when they are in a hotter environment. To generate heat, warm-blooded animals convert the food that they eat into energy. They have to eat a lot of food, compared with cold-blooded animals, to maintain a constant body temperature. Only a small amount of the food that a warm-blooded animal eats is converted into body mass. The rest is used to fuel a constant body temperature.

          Cold-blooded creatures take on the temperature of their surroundings. They are hot when their environment is hot and cold when their environment is cold. In hot environments, cold-blooded animals can have blood that is much warmer than warm-blooded animals. Cold-blooded animals are much more active in warm environments and are very sluggish in cold environments. This is because their muscle activity depends on chemical reactions which run quickly when it is hot and slowly when it is cold. A cold-blooded animal can convert much more of its food into body mass compared with a warm-blooded animal.

          To stay cool, warm-blooded animals sweat or pant to loose heat by water evaporation. They can also cool off by moving into a shaded area or by getting wet. Only mammals can sweat. Primates, such as humans, apes and monkey, have sweat glands all over their bodies. Dogs and cats have sweat glands only on their feet. Whales are mammals that have no sweat glands, but then since they live in the water, they don’t really need them. Large mammals can have difficulty cooling down if they get overheated. This is why elephants, for example, have large, thin ears which loose heat quickly. Mammals have hair, fur or blubber, and birds have feathers to help keep them warm. Many mammals have thick coats of fur which keep them warm in winter. They shed much of this fur in the summer to help them cool off and maintain their body temperature. Warm-blooded animals can also shiver to generate more heat when they get too cold. Some warm-blooded animals, especially birds, migrate from colder to warmer regions in the winter.

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