Habitat adaptation

Hedenas, L. and Kooijman, A. (1996) Phylogeny and habitat adaptations within a monophyletic group of wetland moss genera (Amblystegiaceae). Plant Systematics arul Evolution, 199 33-52. 

Xerophile Organism adapted to grow at low water potential, i.e., very dry habitats. 

Adaptations to Habitats. Because of Eaith s geom-etiyf and the position of its axis, the equator receives more solar energy per unit area than the polar regions. Because Earth s axis is tilted relative to the plane of Earth s orbit around the Sun, this angle of incident radiation varies seasonally. These factors, combined with Earth s rotation, establish the major patterns of temperature, air circulation, and precipitation. 

Cold Habitats. Because of considerations of surface area relative to body mass, animals that live in cold habitats tend to have larger body sizes and smaller extremities (especially ears and legs) compared to their counterparts in warmer habitats. Animals that live in cold habitats also have a greater amount of insulation, such as fat, fur, or feathers. Behavioral adaptations include gathering in groups, which effectively decreases the exposed surface area of each individual. 

Adaptations to Warm Habitats. When water evaporates into the surroundings, the vaporized molecules cany a great deal of heat away with them. One of the best ways to cool an animal s body is to evaporate water from its surface. Adaptations that take advantage of this property include sweating, panting, and licking the body. But water often is a limited resource in warm habitats such as deserts, so many desert animals have adaptations that reduce the amount of water that evaporates from the body. Most... 

Bjorkman, O. Holmgren, P. (1963). Adaptability of the photosynthetic apparatus to light intensity in ecotypes from exposed and shaded habitats. Physiologia Plantarum, 16, 889-914. 

Plants adapted to extreme habitats, such as old fields and granite rock outcrops, and plants typical of early successional stages are relatively radioresistant. 

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