Habit and Habitat of Algae:

Hydrophytes:

• Definition: Hydrophytes are algae that thrive in aquatic environments.

 

• Benthophytes are algae that are adapted to live at the bottom of aquatic environments. Example: Diatoms
• Epactiphytes are algae that attach to surfaces along the shores of lakes and ponds. Example: Ulothrix
• Thermophytes: Algae adapted to warm aquatic environments. Example: Cladophora
• Planktophytes:
  • Euplanktophytes are algae that float freely in the water column. Example: Chlamydomonas
  • Tychoplanktophytes are algae that are planktonic but have some control over their movement. Example: Euglena
  • Halophytes are algae that thrive in saline or brackish water. Example: Dunaliella

2. Edaphophytes:

Definition: Edaphophytes are algae that grow in or on soil, obtaining nutrients from the substrate.

• Saphophytes are algae that grow in or on soil, obtaining nutrients from the substrate. Example: Chlorella
• Cryptophytes are algae that have specialized structures for survival in soil environments. Example: Zygnema

3. Aerophytes:

• Definition: Aerophytes are algae adapted to aerial environments, commonly found in terrestrial habitats where they grow in association with air and atmospheric moisture.

  • i. Epiphyllophytes: Algae that grow on the surface of plants, often in a leaf-like arrangement, utilizing the moisture and nutrients present on the plant surfaces. Example: Trentepohlia (orange lichen)

  • ii. Epiphloephytes: Algae that inhabit the living tissues of plants, forming symbiotic relationships with their host plants. Example: Nostoc (blue-green algae)

  • iii. Epizoophytes: Algae that thrive on the surfaces of animals, utilizing the environmental conditions provided by the host organism. Example: Oscillatoria

  • iv. Lithophytes: Algae adapted to grow on rocks and stones, utilizing the substrate for attachment and support. Example: Porphyra (red algae)

4. Cryophytes:

• Algae adapt to cold environments.

6. Symbionts or Endophytes:

• Symbionts, or endophytes, are algae living in a mutually beneficial relationship with other organisms. Example: Zooxanthellae in coral reefs

7. Endozoophytes:

• Endozoophytes are algae residing inside animals. Example: Zoochlorella

8. Parasites:

• Parasites are algae that derive nutrients from a host organism. Example: Cephaleuros virescens (Red Rust Alga)

9. Fluviatile Algae:

• Fluviatile Algae: Algae found in flowing water. Example: Cladophora glomerata

Cryophytes: Alaskan's Classification (1942):

1. Snow Growers:

   • Example: Chlamydomonas nivalis, also known as "watermelon snow," is a green alga that often forms red-pigmented blooms on snow surfaces.

2. Ice Growers:

   • Example: Ancylonema nordenskioldii, a filamentous green alga, is known to thrive on ice surfaces in polar regions.

3. Both Snow and Ice Growers:

   • Example: Zygnema cryophilum, a cold-adapted green alga, is found in both snowy and icey environments.

4. Both, but Not True Cryophytes:

   • Example: Microcoleus vaginatus, a cyanobacterium, can be found on both snow and ice but may not exhibit all the typical characteristics of true cryophytes.

Difference between Snow and Ice:

• Snow:

  • Snow consists of ice crystals that have formed in the atmosphere and fallen to the ground. It is a collection of numerous ice crystals, which can create a soft, powdery surface. Algae adapted to snowy environments would need to cope with this unique structure and texture.

• Ice:

• Ice, on the other hand, is formed when liquid water freezes. It can take various forms, including solid sheets, blocks, or glaciers. Algae thriving on ice surfaces would encounter a more solid and stable environment compared to the loose, granular structure of snow.
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