Major Ecosystem Types-I

Forest Ecosystem

Tropical Rainforest

Such forest are located in equatorial region of earth such as in Kongo river basin of America, Central America where average rain fall is high 150cm and average temperature exceeds 18_deg_C.

 These forest are characterized by warm and humid climate, high diversity of free species and broad leaves and tall plants, high evidence of insects and vertebrates.

Tropical Deciduous

These forests are found in the region of trophic where average rainfall ranges 100 to 120cm per year. The rainfall is not evenly distributed but is restricted to prolong dry seasons.

Temperate Rainforest

Occurs in the region which are contemporary very cold and have winter rainfall and the summers are hot and dry.

Temperate Deciduous

Occurs in a very cold climate. The annual temperature is in between 7 to 15_deg_C. The summer is hot and winter is very cold. These forest characteristic by tall trees, evidence of insect and birds and dominance of hard wood trees which are suitable for quality furniture and other purpose.

Boreal Forest

Such forest are found across east-west part of north Europe, Asia and north America and enclose vicinity below 60_deg_N latitude where the climate is cold the annual rainfall varies from 100mm-350mm and annual temp range between 60 to 20_deg_C in summer.

FOREST TYPE IN INDIA

i.        Coniferous Forest

ii.      Broad leaved

iii.    Evergreen

iv.      Wet Evergreen

v.        Semi- Evergreen

vi.      Deciduous Forest

vii.    Throne Forest

viii.     Mangroves Forest

Grasslands

3 Types of grassland are found to occur in different climate regions:

i. Tropical Grasslands

o   They occur near the border of tropical rain forest in the region of high average temp. and low to moderate rainfall.   

 

o   In Africa these are typically known as Savanna which has tall grasses with scattered shrubs and strutted trees. The Savanna has a wide diversity of animal including Zebra, Giraffe, antelopes etc.

o   During dry seasons fires are quit common, termite molds are very common here.

ii. Temperate Grasslands

o   They are usually found in flat, gentle sloped hills, winters are very cold but summers are hot and dry.

o   In US and Canada these grasslands are known as Praries and in South America as Pampas, in Africa as Weldas and in central Europe and Asia they are known as Stepnes.

iii. Polar Grasslands

o   They are found in Artic polar region where severe cold and strong frizzed winds along with Ice and snow create too harsh climate for trees to grow.

o   In summers the sunshine is long as round the clock and hence several small annual plants grow in summer.

o   A thick layer of ice remains frozen under the soil surface throughout the year and known as Fermafrost.

Desert Ecosystem:

    These Ecosystems occurs in the region where evaporation exceeds precipitation.

    The precipitation is less than 25cm/year. About one-third of the world’s land area is covered by Deserts.

    Deserts have little species diversity and consist of drought resistance / drought avoiding plants. The atmosphere is very dry and hence it is a poor insulator.

    The soil gets cooled up early making the night cool. Desert have three measure type based on climate conditions:

> Tropical Desert-

§  Like Sahara [in Africa] and Thar Desert [in Rajasthan] in India are driest of all with only few species wind-blown and sand dunes are very common.

>Temperate Desert-

§  Like Mojave [in South California] where day time temp. are very hot in summer but cool in winter.

> Cold Desert-

§  Like Gobi[in China] has cold winters and warm summers.

    Desert plants and animals are having most typical adaptation for conservation of water. Many desert plants are found to have reduced scaly leafs so as to cut down loss of water due to transpiration have succulent leaves to store water.

    Many times their stems get flattened and developed chlorophyll, like Nagfuni so that they can take up the function of photosynthesis some plants show very deep roots to tap the ground water.

    Many plants have a waxy thick quitical over the leaves to reduce loss of water through transpiration.

    Desert animals like insects and reptiles have thick outer covering to minimize loss of water they usually live inside borrow where humidity is better and heat is less.

    Desert soil is rich in nutrient but deficient in water. Due to low species diversity shortage of water and slow growth rate desert plant community if faced with a severe stress take a long time to recover.