What are some similarities in terrestrial biome and the aquatic life zone?
Ecologists find similar community structure in both terrestrial and aquatic habitats. The plant and animal communities are organized into trophic levels. At the bottom of the food web are the primary producers (algae in lakes, grass and trees in terrestrial systems). Next level up is first-level consumers (herbivorous zooplankton in lakes, buffalo on prairies). Next level up is predators (fish eats zooplankton, man eats buffalo). Another similarity is the effect of physical complexity, which can promote greater biodiversity. In a lake or salt marsh, the near-shore area with emergent aquatic vegetation provides diverse habitat for an enormous array of different species, compared to open water. In a forest, the trees do the same – more species in the forest than on grassland.
