Ecological Adaptations

The part of the earth in which life exists is called biosphere.

The biosphere consists of 3 major types of habitats.

• Aquatic habitat

• Terrestrial habitat

• Aerial or Arboreal habitat

The special characteristics of plants and animals that enalbe them to be successful in certain environmental conditions, are called adaptations.

Phenotypic plasticity and ecotypes

The phenotype is the physical expression of the organism. The phenotype shows variations due to differences in the environmental conditions in a habitat. Such variations among individuals produced due to local conditions of the habitat is called as phenotypic plasticity. Species, which are widely distributed evolve genetically adapted local populations called ecotypes. A species may have ecotypes which have morphological and physiological differences in characters which is genetic, but they are interfertile.