In
ecology, a mesic habitat is a type of
habitat with a moderate or well-balanced supply of
moisture, e.g., a mesic forest, a
temperate hardwood forest
Temperate broadleaf and mixed forest is a temperate climate terrestrial habitat type defined by the World Wide Fund for Nature, with broadleaf tree ecoregions, and with conifer and broadleaf tree mixed coniferous forest ecoregions.
These fo ...
, or
dry-mesic prairie. Mesic habitats transition to
xeric shrublands
Deserts and xeric shrublands are a biome defined by the World Wide Fund for Nature. Deserts and xeric (ancient Greek xērós, “dry") shrublands form the largest terrestrial biome, covering 19% of Earth's land surface area. Ecoregions in this h ...
in a non-linear fashion, which is evidence of a threshold. Mesic is one of a triad of terms used to describe the amount of water in a habitat. The others are
xeric and
hydric.
Further examples of mesic habitats include streamsides, wet meadows, springs, seeps, irrigated fields, and high elevation habitats. These habitats effectively provide drought insurance as land at higher elevations warms due to seasonal or other change.
Healthy mesic habitats act like sponges in that they store water in such a way that it can be deposited to neighboring habitats as needed. They are common in dryer regions of the western United States, and can be a good water source to neighboring desert habitats. Healthy mesic habitats also provide
forb and insects for organisms belonging to higher trophic levels, such as grouse.
Mesic habitats are under stress from various human activities such as ranching, however many conservation efforts are underway. As of 2010, over 1,474 ranchers have agreed to partner with the Sage Grouse Initiative under the
U.S. Department of Agriculture in order to protect over 5.6 million acres of mesic habitat.
See also
*
Tugai
References
Habitat
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