HABITAT ESTABLISHMENT AND MANAGEMENT CHAPTER 7

Habitat Habitat is where organisms naturally live and grow. Habitat is the environment in which an organism lives. Habitat needs vary by species. All need food, water, cover, and space.

FOOD Growth – multicellular organisms grow larger by increasing the total number of cells in their body. Nutrient – any substance needed for a cell to survive, grow, and reproduce. Food – ingested materials that contain the nutrients. Nutrients include proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals. and water!

FOOD & ENERGY A key component of food is energy. The source of energy for most living organisms is the Sun. Plants, algae, and cyanobacteria (producers) convert solar energy into bond energy in carbohydrates. Herbivores (primary consumers) eat producers to obtain their energy. Secondary consumers include carnivores and omnivores. Food pyramid / food chain – the series of transfers of food energy form one organism to another.

WATER Water is a basic need for life. Water is an important part of habitat. Water often determines what plants can live in an area which determines what animals can live there.

COVER Cover is the vegetation or other material that provides safety in a habitat. Animals use cover for nesting, resting, escaping danger from predators, and protection from adverse weather.

SPACE Space is the area or territory around an organism. Home range is the space an animal normally uses for living. Within a home range, an individual may establish a territory Dominance is when one or a few species control habitat conditions.

HABITAT LAYERS Vertical stratification – physical layers of a community. Grassland/prairie – ground, herbaceous Forest – ground, herbaceous, low shrub, low tree/high shrub, lower canopy, upper canopy. Vertical stratification in aquatic habitats is influenced by depth, light, temperature, pressure, salinity, oxygen, and carbon dioxide.

SUCCESSION Succession – a sequence of growth events a habitat goes through during its life. Starts with bare rock Pioneer species (ex. lichens, mosses) Soil or bare ground Annual grasses Perrenial grasses Shrubs Young trees Mature trees – climax stage

POPULATIONS Population – all the members of one species in a given area at a given time. Four factors determine population: Natality (birth) rate Mortality (death) rate Emigration rate - organisms moving in Immigration rate – organisms moving out Carrying Capacity – maximum number of individuals a habitat can support.

HABITAT MANAGEMENT Interspersion – maintaining a habitat with various stages of succession (to support a greater variety of wildlife). Edge – area where two habitats meet (also known as ecotone). Gradual edge is more desirable than abrupt edge. Featured species – a species promoted through improved habitat. Species richness – the number of different species found in an area.

MANAGEMENT PROBLEMS Loss of natural vegetation Wetland destruction Pollution Diseases Pesticides Non-native species Overharvest Illegal harvesting