“Explore the types of terrestrial habitats, their characteristics, and examples, including forests, grasslands, deserts, tundra, mountains, and wetlands. Learn their ecological importance.”
Introduction
Terrestrial habitats are land-based ecosystems that support a diverse range of plant and animal life. These habitats are shaped by climate, soil type, vegetation, and geographical location, and they play a vital role in maintaining ecological balance. In this hall, we’ll explore the types of terrestrial habitats, their key characteristics, and examples
Contents
- Meaning and types of terrestrial habitats
- Definition of terrestrial habitat
- Types of terrestrial habitat
- Characteristics of terrestrial habitats
See Also
- Types of aquatic habitats, characteristics and examples
- Fresh water habitats, meaning, types and characteristics
What is Terrestrial Habitat?
Terrestrial habitat refers to the life on land. The nature of soil, rainfall and temperature are the major factor affecting the nature of terrestrial habitats.
The terrestrial habitat is divided into four groups. These are types of Terrestrial Habitats:
- Marsh
- Rain Forest
- Savannah or grassland
- Aridland.
Marshy Habitat
Marsh habitat is defined as a lowland habitat which is usually flooded or water logged all the time. Naturally, grasses and shrubs grow in Marsh but when trees grows there, it is called a swamp. Marsh is often regarded as transition between the aquatic and terrestrial habitats.
Types Of Marshes
There are two major types of marshes. These are freshwater marshes and salt water marshes.
- Freshwater marshes: freshwater marshes occur on land, just beyond the limits of the salt water marshes and beyond the areas influenced by tide. In this area, fresh water from Rivers overflows the revival banks to flood the adjoining lowland resulting in the formation of freshwater marshes.
- Salt water marshes: Salt water marshes occurs along the coastal areas and they are influenced by tides. Because the water along the coast is salty, it mixes up with fresh water from rivers to form brackish water. The action of tide in the ocean causes the flooding of adjoining Lowlands with brackish water resulting in the formation of salt water marshes.
Characteristics Of A Marsh
- Nature of the soil: The soil in marshes are wet, soft and water logged and poorly aerated.
- Lowland habitat.
- High flooding, the ground of marshes is always flooded most of the time
- There is the presence of stagnant water
- There is a presence of organic matter.
- There is a high rate of organic decomposition in a marsh.
- High relative humidity is very high in Marsh.
Plants Found In Marshes
Examples of plant commonly found in marshes include: algae, water lettuce (pistia), sword grasses, duckweed (lemna), water lilies (Nymphaea), hornwort, sedges, white mangrove, red mangrove, raphia palm.
Animal found in Marshes
Examples of animals that live in marshes are mangrove crab, lagoon crab, hermit crab, mud skippers, fishes, bloody clam, oysters, barnacles, frogs, toads, lizards, snakes, turtles, birds, crocodile and mammals.
Food Chain In Marshes
The plants and decaying organic matter form the basic of food chain in marshes. Some examples of food chain in marshes include:
- Flowering plants – insects – frogs – crocodiles
- Detritus – worms – fishes
- Humus – earthworms – frogs – snakes.
Factors affecting the marsh habitats
Factors which affect the marsh habitat include rainfall, temperature, light, relative humidity and salinity.
FOREST HABITATS
Meaning: A forest is an extensive community of plants dominated by tall Trees. These trees are of different species and height. The distribution of Forest is mainly determined by climate especially rainfall and temperature.
Characteristics Of Rainforest
- There is presence of broad leaves
- Presence of buttress roots also available.
- Presence of tall trees in rainforest.
- Existence of canopies, the trees of rainforest are shaped in such a way as to form canopies.
- Trees exist in layers of storeys, i.e, upper layers, middle layers and lower layers.
- Presence of falling leaves on the ground is common in the forest.
- Trees have thin bark to enhance gaseous exchange and transpiration.
- Presence of epiphytes which possess aerial roots for moisture absorption and respiration.
Strata in the Forest
The rainforest vegetation have plant which are naturally arranged in layers, strata or storeys. There are about five storey in the forest. These are:
- The upper layer: made up of tallest trees over 40 metres tall.
- Middle layer: made up of tall Trees of about 16 to 40 metres tall.
- Lower layer: made up of small trees less than 16 m tall.
- The shrub layer: made up of small trees 1 to 5 meters in height.
- Ground layer or Forest floor: This contain wet and shade loving plants which grows on the floor of the forest.
Adaptive features of plants in a forest habitat
- IROKO and mahogany
- African walnut
- Obeche
- Orchid
- Mistletoe
Adaptive features of animals in a forest habitat
- Monkeys
- Bats
- Green snakes
- Chameleon
- Apes
- Earthworms and snails
- Birds.
Importance Of Water To Rain Forest
- It helps to maintain the body temperature of organisms.
- It is essential for plant turgidity/mechanical support.
- It helps in metabolism of organisms.
- It provides moisture necessary for microbial activities.
- It provide moisture necessary for burrowing animals.
- It is also essential for translocation and transpiration.
- It is also a central for movement and survival of aquatic animals.
- It is important for plant and animal growth or germination of seed.
Food Chain In A Forest Habitat
- Green plants – grasshoppers – toads – hawks
- Green plants – caterpillars – lizards – snakes
- Green plants – monkeys – Lions
Factors Affecting The Forest
Climatic factors which affect the rainforest include rainfall, temperature, wind, relative humidity, sunlight etc.
GRASSLAND OR SAVANNAH HABITAT
Meaning: A grassland or Savannah is a plant community in which grass species are dominant with short but scattered trees and shrubs. The grassland or Savannah lies between the forest and the desert or arid land.
Types Of Grassland
There are two major types of grassland. These are tropical grassland (Savannah) and the temperate grassland.
Characteristics Of Grassland
- Predominance of grasses with over 70% of the vegetation
- Presence of short but scattered trees.
- Absence of stratified canopies.
- Presence of fire resistant trees.
- Small size of leaves to aid the plants in reducing the rate of transpiration.
- Presence of drought resistant trees.
- Presence of underground stems.
- There is also the presence of deep rooted plants
- Presence of deciduous plants.
- Presence of trees with modified leaves to enable them adapt to the environment.
Adaptive features of plants in the grassland
- Spear grass
- Baobab
- Acacia
- Sheabutter
- Elephant grass
- Palm.
Animal Species In The Grassland
Savannah seems to have a large population of animals which are different species. Examples of animals are antelopes, elephant, giraffe, zebra, cow, lizard, goats, tigers, Lions, birds, leopards, snakes, termites, rats, squares, porcupines, gazelle’s, grass cutters and kangaroos.
Food Chain In A Grassland Habitat
- Grass – grasshoppers – lizards – snakes
- Grass – zebras – Lions
- Grass – grasshoppers – toads – birds.
Climatic factors affecting grassland habitat
Temperature 21 to 30° c, moderate rainfall 600 to 1,500 mm, fertile soil, low relative humidity and light intensity.
ARID LAND OR DESERT HABITAT
Meaning: Arid land or desert refers to areas of very low rainfall and high evaporation rate. Arid land are the dryest habitats, receiving less than 25 cm of annual rainfall.
Types Of Arid Lands
There are two major types of arid land or desert. These are hot desert and cold deserts.
- Hot deserts
- Cold deserts
Characteristics of arid land (hot desert )
- Scarcity of water
- Hot temperature
- Presence of Sandy soils
- High sunshine
- Predominance of strong winds
- Poor vegetation
- Low relative humidity
- President of drought resistant plants.
Adaptive features of plants in Arid land
- Cactus
- Acacia
- Baobab tree
- Wiring grass
- Oleander
Adaptive features of animals in arid land
- Camel
- Kangaroos
- Rodents
- Lizards
- Snakes
- Zebras
- Desert tortoise
- Pocket mice
- Locusts
- Grasshoppers
- Ants
- Butterflies.
Food Chain In Arid Land
The food chain in arid land can be demonstrated by the following examples:
- Plants – desert rats – snakes
- Plants – locust – wasps – lizards
- Plants – ants – scorpions – snakes
Factors Affecting Arid Land
The major abiotic factors affecting arid land are almost the same with that of grassland. These are: temperature, rainfall, sunlight, wind and low relative humidity.
Quick Revision Questions for Students
- (a) What is Terrestrial Habitats (b) List the major types of Terrestrial Habitats
- (a) What is marsh? (b) List two types of marshes you know (c) State one food chain and four biotic factor affecting marshes (d) Name two plants and two animals found in Marsh and their adaptive features (e) State one food chain and four abiotic factors affecting marshes
- (a) What is a forest (b) Explain the strata found in a forest (c) Name two animals and two plants and state their adaptive features which enable them to live in Forest habitat.
- State five characteristics each of the plants community in the tropical rainforest and savanna.
- What is grassland? (b) Name three plants and three animals in grassland and state their adaptive features which enable them to live in grassland (c) State one possible food chain in grassland.
- State five characteristics of an arid land (b) State the adaptive features of the following organisms to desert habitat, Camel, locust, cactus, acacia (c) state one possible food chain in arid land (d) list four abiotic factors affecting arid land.
- (a) List four adaptive features of animals that climb rainforest trees (b) Outline five importance uses of water to organisms in the tropical rainforest.