Air-Ground Ecosystems: Arid, Polar, Forest, and Steppe Habitats
Air-Ground Environments: Land and Air Interactions
Air-ground environments are classified according to the similarity of physical conditions:
- Arid
- Polar Zones
- Forested Areas
Arid Environments
- A region with low rainfall
- High temperature during the day, dropping at night
- Small amount of soil water
- Animals that live there are adapted to this climate
- Animals seek shelter from the sun in underground burrows
- Reptiles and insects have waterproof outer shells, which allow them to maintain water
- Mammals are nocturnal, getting the small amount of water they need from plant food
- The cactus is protected from predators with its spines
- During the few periods of moisture, wild plants germinate, grow, flower, and produce new seeds.
Arid Communities
Perennials: Shallow roots but very superficial extension quickly absorb moisture from the soil after rare storms. Their bodies are covered by an impermeable layer which reduces transpiration.
Succulent plants: Plants with thick leaves and stems for water storage.
Polar Regions
The presence of ice, subzero temperatures, and snowstorms prevent the development of plants.
- During the summer, there are insects that are food for migratory birds
- Some mammals can regulate blood flow and prevent their legs from freezing, while others produce an antifreeze that circulates in their blood
Wilderness Areas: Forests
- Climates that have temperatures between temperate and warm with high humidity.
- The tallest trees are between 50 and 60 m, their trunks are slender, and branching near the top. Because of their proximity, they form a continuous green foliage that absorbs and reflects almost all the sunlight. The light passing through the leaves has a lower intensity, and the soil remains moist.
- At lower levels, the prevailing gloom limits plant development
- Plants that grow on the ground have broad, dark green leaves so they can make the most of available light.
- There is a significant diversity of insects, birds, and mammals that live on top of trees.
- Arboreal snakes hide their presence with the color of their body, similar to the bark of trees.
- Brightly colored birds pluck fruit from trees. They are confused with the fruit because their color is similar.
- The jaguar and ocelot are hidden among the leaves because their hair is covered with stains and is very similar to the foliage
- Worms, slugs, snails, and microorganisms abound due to permanently moist soil.
Communities in Forest Areas
Epiphytes: They bind and grow on branches and trunks. They absorb water through the leaves and roots and accumulate it in their bodies.
Patagonian Steppe
The Patagonian Steppe is located south of our country, stretching from the coast to the region of the Andean Patagonian forest. It is characterized by strong winds and water shortages. The temperature also fluctuates daily and seasonally.
- The maras or burrowing hares seek shelter from predators and temperature changes.
- Behaviors vary depending on variations in temperature.
- Puma is the main predator of the area. Food: Maras and rheas
- Vegetation typical of the place: shrubs. This is related to the lack of water, which hinders the growth of large trees. Infrequent rains mean only vegetables that survive have deep roots.
- In the cold season, plants die, before producing seeds to survive the winter, and germinate when environmental conditions are favorable again.
- Common shrubs: duraznillo, caulk, malaspina, and stone wood. They have small leaves and thorny branches. The stem and leaves have a thick waterproof cover that reduces water loss. That cover has small holes, called aquiferous stomata, in the ends and edges of leaves where water droplets are removed. Also found are aeriferous stomata, which are related to the exchange of gases in the air.
Plants and Water
They are classified according to the capacity that each of the plants may have, in relation to the water for survival:
Hygrophytes: Live in moist soils, large leaves and many stomata, poorly developed roots, thin epidermis, and have no storage organs.
Mesophytes: Live in aerated environments, fresh, where water is plentiful, resist short periods of drought, have leaves of medium size, not very developed roots that extend into the deep.
Xerophytes: Live in arid desert environments characterized by scarce water, have extensive roots with root hairs, thick rain cover, small leaves or absent, spines, skin covered by hair and wax, and water storage organs.