Under habitat understand the space used by living organisms to exist.Thus, the topic is relevant to the question of the life of any creature.There are four types of habitats, in addition, there are a variety of factors that transform external influences, so they also need to be considered.
Determination
So, what is the habitat of the animals?Determination of appeared in the nineteenth century - in the work of Russian physiologist Sechenov.Every living organism continually interacts with the surrounding phenomena which it was decided to call the environment.Its role has a dual nature.On the one hand, all life processes of organisms associated with it directly - so animals receive food, they are affected by climate, natural selection.However, their existence has no less impact on the environment in many ways define it.Plants maintain the balance of oxygen and shade the soil, animals make it more friable.Almost any change causing organisms.Habitat needs a comprehensive study of everyone who wants to have an understanding of biology.It is also important to know that some creatures can live in different conditions.Amphibians are born in water and overwinter and feed often on land.Beetles that live in the air, often in need of soil or water to reproduce.
symbiosis and parasitism
Surprisingly, the habitat of the animals can be limited to a host of other animals.So, inside there are all sorts of human representatives of the microflora, and sometimes, as well as flat or round worms.Using one another organism as a habitat is a very common situation that was present throughout the course of evolution.There is virtually no one species of animals in which there would be no internal parasites.They act as algae, amoebae, ciliates.In relation to this phenomenon is most important to learn to distinguish parasitism and symbiosis.In the first case, the habitat of the animals used to the detriment of the body in which they are located.Parasites live solely by the owner, without mortifying him.Symbiosis is also useful for both parties living, which brings problems and leads exclusively to the benefits.
Water
aquatic environment - a collection of all the oceans, seas, glaciers and continental waters of the planet, called the hydrosphere, in addition, sometimes it also includes the snow Antarctic, atmospheric liquid and those contained in the organisms.It takes more than seventy percent of the Earth's surface with the bulk of the oceans and seas.Water is an integral part of the biosphere, not only reservoirs, but also the air and soil.Any organism, it is necessary for survival.Moreover, it is water that distinguishes the Earth from neighboring planets.Furthermore, it has played a key role in the development of life.It accumulates the organic and inorganic substances which transfers heat, and forms the environment contained in animal and plant cells.It is therefore an aqueous medium - one of the most important.
Air
mixture of gases forming the Earth's atmosphere, is essential for all living organisms.Air habitat directed evolution, since oxygen forms a high metabolism that determines the structure of the respiratory system and the water-salt metabolism.Density, composition, humidity - all of this has serious implications for the planet.Oxygen formed two billion years ago in volcanic activity, after which its share is steadily increasing in the air.Modern human environment characterized by 21% -s content of this element.An important part of it is also the ozone layer, which does not allow ultraviolet radiation to reach the Earth's surface.Without it, life on the planet could be destroyed.Now safe human environment is under threat - the ozone layer is destroyed because of negative ecological processes.This leads to the necessity of conscious behavior and constant selection of the best not only for people but also for the earth solutions.
Soil
The land inhabited by many living organisms.Habitat is also used plants that serve as food for the majority of the planet's living creatures.It is impossible to clearly determine whether the soil lifeless form, so it is called biokosnyh body.By definition, a substance that is processed during the life of the organisms.Soil is the habitat of a solid mass consisting of sand, clay and silt particles;the liquid component;gas - is the air;live - are creatures who inhabit it, all kinds of microorganisms, invertebrates, bacteria, fungi, and insects.Each hectare of land is home to five tons of such forms.Soil habitat is intermediate between water and land and air, and therefore living organisms it is often combined different type of breathing.To meet such creatures is possible even on an impressive depth.
interaction between organisms and the environment
Every creature is different from inanimate nature by the presence of metabolic and cellular organization.Interaction with the environment takes place continuously and should be studied comprehensively because of the complexity of processes.Each organism depends on what is happening around.Ground-air human environment affects him rainfall, soil conditions and temperature range.Some of the processes useful for the body, some are indifferent, others are harmful.Each has a separate definition.For example, homeostasis - constancy of the internal systems, which are different living organisms.Habitat may change that require adaptation - movements, growth and development.The metabolism - the metabolism, accompanied by chemical reactions, such as breathing.Chemosynthesis call establishment process of organic sulfur compounds or nitrogen.Finally, it is worth remembering the definition of ontogenesis.This set of transformations of the body that are affected by all the factors of the environment over the entire period of its existence.
Environmental factors
For a better understanding of biological processes, it is also necessary to examine the definition.Environmental factors are complex environmental conditions that affect the living organism.They are divided according to a complicated classification into several types.To adapt to the body's adaptation is called, and its appearance, reflecting the environmental factors, is the name of the life form.
Nutrients
This is one of the types of environmental factors that affect living organisms.Habitat includes salts and elements from the incoming water and foods.Biogenic ones are those that are required in large quantities for the body.For example, this phosphorus is important for the formation of protoplasm, and nitrogen, the basis for protein molecules.The source of the first organisms are dead and rocks, and the second - the air.Lack of phosphorus affect the existence almost as acute as lack of water.Slightly inferior to the value of such elements as calcium, potassium, magnesium and sulfur.The first is necessary for shells and bones.Potassium enables the nervous system and the growth of plants.Magnesium is part of the chlorophyll molecule and ribosomes, and sulfur - in the composition of amino acids and vitamins.
environmental factors
There are other processes that affect living organisms.Habitat includes factors such as light, climate, and the like, which are, by definition, abiotic.Without them it is impossible processes of photosynthesis and respiration, metabolism, seasonal migrations, reproduction of many animals.First, light is important.Taking into account the length, intensity and duration of exposure.According to him stands the whole classification, which is studying biology.Habitat, full of light, need heliophyte - meadow and steppe grasses, weeds, plants of the tundra.Stsiofitam needed shade, they prefer to live under the forest canopy - a forest of grass.Optional heliophyte can adapt to any environment: in this class include trees, strawberry geranium.An equally important factor is the temperature.Every organism has a certain range, for a comfortable life.Water, the presence of chemicals in the soil and even fires - they are also concerns abiotic sphere.
Biotic factors
ground-air habitat filled with living organisms.Their interaction with each other - a single factor worthy of consideration.It is important to separate the two kinds of biotic processes.The reaction can be Phytogenic.This means that the process involves plants and microorganisms affect each other and the environment.For example, a fusion of roots and vines on trees parasitism, symbiosis between legumes and bacteria living on tubers.The second type - zoogenic factors.This exposure animals.This includes eating, seed dispersal, damage to the bark, destroying seedlings, thinning forests, transfer of diseases.
Human activity
water, air or terrestrial habitats are always associated with human activities.People actively change the world around them, greatly affecting its processes.Anthropogenic factors are each exposure, the landscape or biosphere.It can be direct, if directed at the living creatures, eg the wrong hunting and fishing undermines the population of some species.Another option is an indirect effect when a person changes the landscape, climate, air quality and water, the structure of the soil.Consciously or unconsciously, but man destroys many species of animals or plants, while cultivating others.So there is a new medium.There are also occasional impacts, such as the sudden importation of alien organisms to load, improper drainage of wetlands, creation of dams, the spread of pests.However, some creatures are dying and without any human intervention, so blame the people in all environmental issues is simply unfair.
Limiting factors
all sorts of influence exerted on organisms from all sides, is manifested in varying degrees.Sometimes key are substances that are required in a minimal amount.Accordingly, the law was designed minimum.He suggests that the weakest link in the chain needs of the organism is considered to be his stamina in general.Thus, if the soil has all the elements, except one, are necessary for growth - the harvest will be poor.If you add only missing, leaving all others in the same amount - it will become better.If you add all the rest, without correcting the shortage, no change will occur.The missing element in such a situation will be the limiting factor.However, it is necessary to take into account the maximum impact.It describes the law of tolerance Shelford, assuming that there is only a certain range in which factor may be beneficial for the body, in excess as it becomes harmful.Ideal conditions are called the optimum area and deviation from the norm - oppression.Highs and lows impacts are denomination critical points, for which the existence of the body impossible.The degree of tolerance to the different conditions are different for every living being and allow them to refer to more or less hardy varieties.