Friday, April 11, 2008

Unit.2 COMPARING LAND AND WATER ORGANISMS

Some animals like frogs, start their life in the water, and then emerge to live on land near water. Animals have many different habitats in which they live.
A frog is an amphibian that is at home both on land and in fresh water. The process that transforms a frog from water to land is called "metamorphosis." As a tadpole, they have a very dangerous life. Many predators like fish, turtles, birds, and even large insects look for the young tadpoles tCOMPARING LAND AND WATER ORGANISMSo eat. Different frog species have different growth rates. Some become frogs within weeks, however some like the North American bullfrog may take more than a year to fully develop. The rate of metamorphism is also influenced by temperature of water and other chemical factors.
Organisms that live in the marine environment must be able to adapt their bodies to the salt water. They also need to have a supply of nourishment similar to organisms that live on land. The ocean usually has nourishment throughout the water as dissolved minerals. Food created by algae is floating within the upper 200 meters of the water column. Water allows organisms to move around with greater ease than on land. Organisms that reside in the ocean live in certain areas of the ocean just like land animals live in certain areas. Whales for instance have a much larger habitat than an elephant, because the whales can move within the ocean of their birth.
The beach is an area that is half water and half land. Many portions of the beach are covered by water part of the time, so it is not a friendly area to live.
Shallow waters are usually close to the coast. Organisms, like crabs, clams, corals, and seastars reside in this area. Fish can also live in shallow, and deep water. Deep water organisms include porpoises, fishes, and deep water clams.
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