Factors Influencing World Distribution of Plants and Animals – UPSC

In this article, You will read Factors Influencing World Distribution of Plants and Animals for UPSC (Biogeography Notes).

There are diversities in species in plants and animals. Plants and animals are Terrestrial and Aquatic. Diversities of plants and animals are found from the Equator to Pole, and from Foothills to Mountain Top.

Factors Influencing World Distribution of Plants and Animals

Humans, animals, and plants are globally distributed, they are termed cosmopolitan in their distribution some other animals have restricted distribution and they are said to be endemic.

• Cosmopolitan – same and similar species widely distributed all over the world.
• Endemic – same and similar species occurring in the same geographical location and in no other place.

Some animal species are restricted to a particular continent, for instance, the giraffe is only found in Africa and in no other part of the world, the marmoset monkeys are found only in South America. However, there are also plants and animals that are restricted to a very small area of the world. For instance, the California redwood trees which are likely restricted to California; they live for over 2000 years and they are the longest trees in the world, they can’t be found anywhere else in the world. These California redwoods are examples of plants with a very narrow endemic range. There may be some plants such as coconuts (Cocos nucifera) which have a very wide endemic range which is defined throughout the tropics and they are said to be pan-tropical in their distribution.

In some cases, the pattern of distribution of plants and animals may be discontinuous or disjoint. When it is discontinuous or disjoint, then we agree that that particular animal or plant may be found in two widely separate areas in other words; they may be found let say in Central America and in Indonesia and not in any other area in between them. However, it is always the biogeographers’ task to find out how this type of distribution came about in view of the fact that the distance which separates them is so great that makes it seem impossible for the species to have migrated from one area to another. An example of this type of distribution of animal is called Tapiran animal that is found in South America and Malaysia. Certainly, questions as to how this distribution came about must have given rise to a number of theories, some of these theories include:

• The theory of continental drift which is also known as Wegener’s theory or Jigsaw theory
• Darwin’s theory of evolution
• Theory of plate tectonic
• The theory of climate

The global distribution of plants and animals depends on abiotic and biotic factors; the abiotic are the non-living factors and also the biotic factors or the living factors.

Abiotic factors affecting distribution of plants and animals

1. Rocks

the rocks of the lithosphere have to be weathered and the soil has to be formed before a plant to grow. The immediate environmental factor affecting the plant is therefore the soil and these soil characteristics mostly depend on the parent rock. Rocks favor certain plants; and, in some instances, differences in rocks adapt them to different species of Lichens and Mosses.

2. Food

All living species must have food to survive, without the food they die, this is one of the foundations for the differences in limitation of plants, animal in different locations of the world.

3. Air

All living things (plants and animals) need air to breathe and for survival, the air is needed for respiration to take place in organisms. All living organisms only survive where there is air in abundance, when the air pressure is low, especially in higher altitudes some may find it difficult to breathe because of the insufficient amount of oxygen present at such height. Oxygen and carbon dioxides are very important for both plants and animals, oxygen is essential for respiration and it is utilized during various growth and development process, while carbon dioxide is needed for photosynthesis to take place.

4. Water

Water enters the ecosystem through snow, drizzle, sleet, rain, hail which are generally termed as precipitation. Precipitation determines, along with mean temperature, the worldwide distribution of Biomes. Some animals are aquatic in nature, they must have water to live in, and on the other hand, some animals including desert rats are able to survive in arid areas where they are unlikely ever to drink water. Water is very important for vital functions, however, only animals that can conserve water are found in the deserts. The desert animals like pocket mice and kangaroo rats (and their old-world counterparts, gerbils) get most of the moisture they need from the seeds and grains they eat, the reptiles have many adaptations to conserve water such as producing highly concentrated urine and nearly dry faeces that allow them to eliminate body waste without losing precious moisture. This is a similar case with the desert plants. For instance, Xerophytes, such as acacia, Camelthorn tree, Saguaro, prickly pear, and Joshua trees, have unique features for adaptation and for storing and conserving water. They often have few or no leaves, which reduce transpiration. The plants have fleshly stems and swollen leaves, they absorb large amounts of water during the infrequent period of rain, thereby swelling up the stems only to contract later as moisture is slowly lost through transpiration. The Phreatophytes- are plants that grow extremely long roots; the roots allow them to acquire moisture at or near the water table

5. Nutrients

Nitrogen is needed to make proteins, enzymes, nucleotides, and vitamins. Phosphorus is used in the formation of phospholipids and other structures.

6. Soil

For plants, soil type is a major factor in deciding the type and variety of species growing in a particular area as the minerals, water contents, microorganisms, etc. all differ in different soils. Soil is a combination of various organic and inorganic matters and with varying content, the water retention capacity of the soil, the fertility, and the presence of minerals changes. While clay soil can retain more water but less air, black soil is ideal for plant growth with the balance of air and water retention capacities. The soil’s pH helps the absorption of nutrients by the plant. If the soil is acidic, desertification can take place and ruin the chances for plant habitat.

7. Temperature

The ability to survive at extremes temperatures varies widely among plants and animals. Animals respond to variation in temperature both physiologically and behaviorally. For instance, birds and mammals are hot blooded animals (endotherms); they maintain relatively high body temperatures using the heat by their own metabolism. Other animals (such as insects, reptiles, amphibians, fish among others) are termed cold-blooded (ectotherms), they regulate their body temperatures using the surrounding temperature or by using the ambient temperature. Ectotherms- use sources of heat such as solar radiation (direct and indirect) and conduction to help adjust their body temperature, hanging the position of fur or feathers (examples of such include the Carolina and Chickadee ), these may be seen through sweating, shivering panting, burrowing, hibernating, and seeking shade in trees or water. Some desert animals may even store water in their body. Consequently, plants like animals are not able to move away in other to escape the high or the low temperatures in their environment; in this case, photosynthesis slows down or stops when temperatures get too high or too low. The leaves of trees can lose some heat by evapotranspiration (the loss of water through small holes in leaves). However, some plants may have hairy stems and leaves which help to withstand the low temperatures, they may also have more solutes in the cytoplasm to reduce freezing point while others have short growth and they grow very close to each other to resist the cold temperatures and wind.

8. Light

Light is an important climatic factor that is used for the production of chlorophyll and photosynthesis; light has a big influence on the daily and seasonal activity of plants and animals. Light is need for photosynthesis to take place and it is the main source of energy in almost all ecosystems. Energy enters the ecosystem through the source of light- the sun.

Biotic factors affecting distribution of plants and animals

1. Competition

Competition– Competitive interactions have been seen to be one of the major factors that diminish populations of plants and animals from their main habitats; plants and animals compete for space, space is needed for reproduction, exercise, and feeding. There is also competition for several resources such as food, water, and mates. All of these can affect how a species is distributed; due to limited resources, populations may be evenly distributed to minimize competition, as is found in the forest’s habitat, where competition for sunlight produces an even distribution of trees.

2. Predation

Predation affects the global distribution and abundance of plant and animal species, the strength and direction of energy flow within a system, and the diversity and composition of communities. Predators also play an essential role in evolution.

3. Diseases

Plant diseases can be fungal, bacterial, viral, or through an animal in origin; they include insects/pests, plant diseases, and invasive weeds. These diseases affect food crops, causing significant losses to farmers and threatening food security. For instance, banana diseases, Locusts, fruit flies, armyworm, cassava mosaic, and wheat rusts are very destructive to plant live; their outbreaks and upsurges can cause huge losses to crops and pastures, threatening the livelihoods of vulnerable farmers and the food and nutrition security of millions at a time. However, the plant population will obviously reduce in such an environment and will thrive well in areas where such diseases are not found. Animals are no left out in such a situation, they are also affected by various disease outbreaks which are brought about by global warming, which severely affect the balance of an ecosystem; this is seen through changes in animal and plant global distribution, as well as their behavior. If there are more plants than usual in an area, the populations of animals that eat that plant may increase. If one animal’s population increases, the population of animals that eats that animal might also increase. Other changes in the community will cause a population to decrease. If a population becomes diseased, the population may decrease and the population of animals that eat the diseased animals will also decrease.

4. Humans

Humans can influence animal and plant populations in various ways hence, causing them to migrate away from their natural habitat to a new environment. When humans develop land for houses and buildings, they cut down trees and change animal and plant habitats. Some animals like the skunk and raccoon can adapt, but other animals can’t adapt and their populations are affected. Pollution can also hurt animal and plant populations. Sometimes hunting can affect animal populations. For instance, whale populations have been lowered because of overhunting. Man contributes to the global distribution of plant animals through urbanization and agricultural activity, these developments have displaced both animals and plants from their natural habitats and some plant and animal species are forced to move to a new and strange environment since they can’t cope with the harsh condition, while others have gone into extinction.