Refresh!
Habitats! We’re going to talk about Habitats! So, you’ve probably read the first part of this post, so let’s speed up this time. If you haven’t read it yet, here’s a link to that post. (https://twinsparkle.com/importance-of-ecosystems/) Here are a few facts to refresh your memory :
- Ecosystems are also communities like the ones we live where organisms interact with each other and depend on others. Ecosystems can be tiny or huge. These ecosystems make up biomes.
- Biomes are a collection of ecosystems. There are five types of biomes : Forest, Tundra, Aquatic, Desert and Grassland.
- Tiny changes are really hard on ecosystems. Even a slight shake in the ecosystem can bring down the whole thing.
- Ecosystems help us a lot; Humans have hurt and still are hurting ecosystems a lot.
Introduction
This time, we’re going to dive deeper into the concept of ….. drumroll please…. HABITATS!
Habitats? What’s that got to do with Ecosystems? Well, Ecosystems and habitats are connected. A habitat is an environment of where something lives, like animals, birds, plants, and other microscopic organisms. All these living things in it are known as a community. Yes, just like a group of people living in the same area are called.
What is the main difference between biome VS habitat? IT is a little confusing, but I think you can handle it. A habitat is an environment of particular species of plants and animals while biomes are places with similar conditions (temperature, environment, food, climate) and describe major communities.
Let me give you an example! The habitat of the Blue throated Macaws are savannas. But since savannas would go under the biome of grasslands, The biome in which Blue throated Macaws are found would be grasslands.
Types of habitats
Now, let us talk about the most common types. You might have heard about them before, but it’s always good to learn more about the things you already know.
- Mountains – They’re mostly cold and windy due to the elevation, and it’s hard for most living things like plants to survive here.
- Polar ice caps- You guessed it! They are frozen for most of the year and they are really icy. And its freezing, going in the negatives in winter.
- Savannas – These are the total opposite of polar ice caps, they are very hot and most of the year is dry while there is a short amount of time when it’s rainy.
- Coniferous forests – It’s right in the name, these forests are filled with coniferous trees. Most of these trees are evergreen (they don’t shed their leaves) and this region has warm summers and cold winters.
- Deciduous Forests – These forests are totally different. Most trees in this region shed their leaves and they have four different seasons.
Many conditions of these places affect which animals and plants live there. Extreme temperatures, (whether cold or hot), and lack of freshwater can make survival for animals and plants in these regions really hard. Wow, that was a big concept. But there is still more to learn about the ecosystem and about animals. So, don’t miss out on the next post about ecosystems.
Fun Facts
- Did you know the biggest habitat in the world is the deep-sea habitat? It covers an area that is almost 4000 m deep.
- The coldest habitat is the Polar ice cap, with temperatures going below -112˚F in the winter.
- Grasslands often support grazing herds such as bison, donkeys, or kangaroos.
Special credit to my sister, Srinika, for introducing me to a science book and inspiring me to write this post. Read our other posts on our home page, https://twinsparkle.com/. Check out this national geographic quiz to have more fun. https://kids.nationalgeographic.com/games/personality-quizzes/article/which-ocean-animal-matches-your-personality.
