Stratification is an ecological term referred to various parts of a system that can be broken down into several layers (Hutchinson & Skelly, 2010). In community context, stratification refers to the manner in which life forms are arranged in a vertical array. Ecologists have identified light as a major factor that determines this vertical structure in the ecosystem (Hutchinson & Skelly, 2010).
Both terrestrial and aquatic habitats comprise of a variety of species which exist at different levels of populations.With respect to light, several similarities and contrasts are observed in aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. Across aquatic and terrestrial habitats, each community has distinct stratification characteristics.
For example, aquatic ecosystem comprises of epilimion, metalimion, and hypolimion (Hutchinson & Skelly, 2010). Similarly, the terrestrial ecosystem comprises of different stratification patterns, for example, a forest ecosystem consists of canopy, ground layer, root layer and the soil strata.
In both aquatic and terrestrial equilibrium ecosystems, few modifications are observed overtime, however, vertical zonation (stratification) features are eminent (Hutchinson & Skelly, 2010).
Due to the differences in the terrestrial and aquatic environments, numerous contrasts between the two environments can be observed. First, in aquatic ecosystem, light is a limiting factor despite its resourcefulness of mixing aquatic regimes (Einsele & Seilacher, 1982). To maximize this limited aquatic resource, life has evolved overtime to adapt to its environs.
Most photosynthetic aquatic organisms have effectively adapted to its environment maximizing the limited sunlight, becoming the major photo synthesizers. In contrast, terrestrial ecosystem has plenty of sunlight supporting its varied organisms (Einsele & Seilacher, 1982). Unlike the aquatic habitats, major terrestrial organisms hardly experience shortage in sunlight.
Thus, sunlight has enabled the terrestrial plants to produce their own food through the process called photosynthesis. Photosynthesis plays a crucial role in supporting terrestrial life, as plants manufacture their own food. Plants are the major primary producers in the terrestrial environments (Einsele & Seilacher, 1982).
Another major difference between the terrestrial and aquatic ecosystem is their level and ability to support organisms (Cain & Hacker, 2011). Unlike the terrestrial habitats, aquatic environment is so rich in nutrients that it can support enormous live.
Phytoplanktons, which hugely rely on the sunlight, are the primary producers in the aquatic environments (Cain & Hacker, 2011). These small drifting organisms are able to feed fishes and other aquatic lives hence their existence is vital for the survival of the aquatic lives.
Due to their exposure to direct sunlight, terrestrial organisms are prone to desiccation. Mostly in the arid areas, sunlight is so intense that leads to enormous lose of water by the organism. Plants lose water by transpiration while animals lose water through sweating and excretion.
Unlike the terrestrial organisms, aquatic organisms are seldom exposed to desiccation (Cain & Hacker, 2011). Since aquatic environment comprises of water, desiccation is rarely experienced. In case of waterlessness, aquatic live is threatened since most of its organism survival is directly dependent on water (Cain & Hacker, 2011).
An additional difference between the aquatic and the terrestrial stratification is their stability (Hutchinson & Skelly, 2010). In terrestrial environments there are variuous fluctuations is sunlight intensity, temperature and humidity resulting in different climates. With different climates, terrestrial organisms have adapted to their respective climates.
Unlike the terrestrial environment, the aquatic habitats have smaller fluctuations in light, temperature and other variables resulting in an analogous environment (Cain & Hacker, 2011). However, aquatic environments greatly differ in their salinity affecting the types of organisms supported.
Through this analysis, light is illustrated as a critical component structuring both terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. As demonstrated, cyclic variations in the heat energy derived from the sunlight are responsible for the disparity in the stratification levels in both ecosystems (Cain & Hacker, 2011).
References
Cain, M. L., Bowman, W. D., & Hacker, S. D. (2011). Ecology (2nd ed.). Sunderland, Mass: Sinauer Associates.
Einsele, G., Einsele, G., Seilacher, A., & Seilacher, A. (1982). Cyclic and eventstratification. Berlin. Springer-Verlag.
Hutchinson, G. E., & Skelly, D. K. (2010). The art of ecology: writings of G. Evelyn Hutchinson. New Haven. Yale University Press.