Diversity of Life - Kinds of Plants and Animals on Earth - Essay Example

The climate of the place includes various other factors such as wind, humidity, distance from the sea, amount of rainfall, elevation from the sea level, etc. These vital factors play an imperative role in deciding the kind of flora and fauna of the place, accordingly, different kinds of ecosystems are present in different parts of the world.

            The tropical zone is hot as it receives most of the sunlight falling on the planet. The rate of evaporation is also high, and rainfall and humidity are more. The vegetation is thick and most of the Rainforest is present in this region. Thus, the climate of a place decides the vegetation and animals of the place. For instance, desert conditions cannot support pine forests but they support animals like camels with padded hoofs to walk on the hot sand and membrane-covered eyes to see during desert storms. The animal is well adapted to live under water scarcity conditions because of its hump which stores fat. Similarly, desert conditions also support cactus plants which are well adapted to the climatic conditions of the desert, the leaves are modified as spines and thick stems to carry out the process of photosynthesis.

            Similarly, pine trees with conical shapes and wax-coated, needle-like leaves are the adaptive features of the flora belonging to the frigid zone. The conical shape and wax-coated leaves of the plant allow snow to slide off the plant. Needle-like leaves allow air to pass through the plants, these features aid in better survival of the plant. The fauna of the frigid zone encompasses polar bear which has white fur for protection from the chill of snow and also to escape from enemies. Other animals encompass seals, wolves, and dogs called huskies.

            The temperate zone, on the other hand, possesses a mild climate that is neither too hot nor too cold. This climatic zone supports good conditions for the survival of humans, as the climate is moderate it allows the proliferation of numerous life forms. The distribution of animals and plants in this climatic zone is also supported by environmental agents and atmospheric pressure.

            Whether marine or landforms, the distribution of flora and fauna is directly related to the environmental conditions.  This results in a variety of flora and fauna prevalent on the planet. Adaptation to these environmental conditions is attributed to the years of modifications in their genetic makeup to reach to the present form. Various cataclysmic happenings have disturbed the evolution of living organisms, as a result of these modifications old species become extinct or are replaced by newer species. For instance, meteorite strike has eradicated dinosaurs and mammoths from their roots but new species replace the old ones.

            The subject is of great concern as the present era is also witnessing a diversity of life forms because of human interventions. Cutting down trees for human establishments is a selfish deed that is responsible for taking away the homes of innocent plant and animal communities. Wilson has explicitly explained diversity in life, it is the need of time to generate awareness to preserve the diverse forms of life from becoming extinct. Wilson emphasized that in the race of becoming economically developed nations are ignoring their basic responsibilities toward the conservation of resources.