Habitat - JSS2 Basic science Past Questions and Answers - page 2

Aquatic habitats and terrestrial habitats differ in several key ways: * **Medium:** Aquatic habitats are primarily characterized by water, while terrestrial habitats are on land. * **Light availability:** Light penetration is limited in aquatic environments, especially at greater depths. Terrestrial habitats generally have abundant sunlight. * **Temperature regulation:** Water has a higher heat capacity than air, so aquatic environments experience more stable temperatures compared to the often fluctuating temperatures of terrestrial environments. * **Oxygen availability:** Oxygen levels can vary significantly in aquatic environments, depending on factors like water movement and the presence of aquatic plants. Terrestrial habitats generally have a consistent supply of oxygen in the air. * **Organisms:** The types of organisms that can survive and thrive in these habitats are vastly different. Aquatic habitats are home to fish, marine mammals, and aquatic plants. Terrestrial habitats support a wide array of plants, animals, insects, and other organisms adapted to life on land. * **Buoyancy:** Aquatic environments provide buoyancy, supporting the weight of organisms in a way that terrestrial environments do not. * **Substrate:** The ground in terrestrial habitats can be very different, while the bed in the water body is a different type of ground altogether.