VMD 512: Zoo/Wild Animal Breeding, Management, Nutrition and Health Care (1+1)

BIOSPHERE BASED MAJOR HABITATS

• Four types are seen as the major habitats in the biosphere in general
  • Marin
  • Estuarine
  • Fresh water
  • Terrestrial

Marin habitat

• This habitat is being used widely by marine mammals, fish, coral reeves etc. inhabit these areas. This is the largest in the biosphere.
• There are two forms are there in the marine habitat:
  • Benthic forms - These are the animals and plants that inhabit the bottom of the sea.
  • Pelagic forms - These are the animals and plants that inhabit the open sea .
• Marine mammals like dugong, whales, dolphins, sea otters etc. are given more significance in general in case of the marine habitat.

Estuarine habitat

• This habitat uniquely represents the confluence of fresh water with sea. Hence, as per the waves or tides, the salinity in this habitat may reveal many variations. It is a commonly found observation that in case of high tides, the salinity is maximum.
• But at the low tides and at periods of high rain fall, there is often an increase in the fresh water level.

Fresh water habitat

• Fresh water habitats are small and are some what easily accessible and comprises plankton and nekton inhabiting them.

Terrestrial habitat

• Terrestrial habitats are comparatively a larger type of habitat in general but at the same time lesser than the marine habitat. This type of habitat is a complicated one in general. The biotic communities reveal so many variations among themselves and finally they constitute the different biomes.