Open Habitat

open habitat, part of a landscape that is not enclosed by trees. Open habitat may include plains, tundra, polar barrens, forest clear-cuts, and other areas free of tree cover. It may be limited to certain portions of ecosystems, or it may encompass whole ecosystems or biomes, such as grasslands or deserts. In open habitats the ground is more exposed to wind, rain, and light.

Plants in open habitats tend to be short in stature, because water in these areas is a limiting resource because of increased evaporation by wind. Animals in open habitats have adaptations for dealing with exposure to wind, rain, and sun. Such adaptations often include thick, waterproof, or windproof fur or feathers, but they may also include claws or other appendages that allow the animal to excavate burrows.

In contrast, woodlands are considered “closed” habitat. In those habitats trees form a barrier to the wind that limits evaporation. As a result, forests retain moisture, and so they tend to be more humid than open habitats. In addition, the crowns of trees in dense woodlands often touch one another to form a canopy that significantly reduces the amount of light that strikes the ground.