I'm a wildlife biologist. I've never seen any of you talk about habitat, especially at this level of depth. Here's a basic rundown of how it works, and how climate affects it, with some examples of how it may play into your world's ecosystem.

So I've been scrolling through this sub for about 15, and I've seen a common thing missing from your posts. <br><br>Habitat. <br><br>And not just 'grassy plains' or 'Mediterranean', but the actual details that make a habitat valuable and important to individual species. So, I've decided to tell you guys how it works, and how climate affects it, and you guys can run from there. <br><br>First off, let's talk about climate. A common thing you guys do is look at rainfall and temperature. These are very important, but not the only factors that should be considered when creating your world. <br><br>Wind: wind effects plants in the same way animals do. Grazing and browsing can remove weak or damaged plants, leaving a healthier landscape, and promote diversity by creating a mosaic. Wind does something similar. It can weaken branches, or kill off weak plants, which in turn calls for a more diverse plant community that includes stronger or more adapted species. <br><br>Sunlight: this should be a no brainer. Sunlight is necessary for photosynthesis, but how much sunlight an area gets should be considered as well. I've seen a lot of people talk about an open canopy allowing sunlight to pass through, but most of you don't consider how many fewer trees there actually are in these landscapes, and how long it takes a newly planted tree to make it to the canopy. <br><br>Soil: a lot of you guys talk about soil quality, but I don't think I've ever seen you guys talk about what soil actually is. Soil is a combination of old or partially decomposed plants, fungi, and insects, and is comprised of sand, silt, and clay. The ratio of these three can create different types of soil. Loam is the perfect combination, and supports the most plant life. Sandy soil tends to lose water, and is bad for plants that need a lot of water to thrive. Clay is the opposite, retaining water, but tends to get water logged. <br><br>Now, let's talk about animals. <br><br>First, let's talk about **niche partitioning**, which is where one species occupies a different niche then another similar species. The most common example is arctic and red foxes. They occupy the same niche, and red foxes will eat arctic foxes if they catch them, but they usually don't because arctic foxes live in a harsher environment that red foxes are not adapted for, and tend to be much smaller, so the competition is minimal. <br><br>Next, a term many of you use: **keystone**. A keystone is an animal that occupies a crucial niche that no other animal can fulfill. The most common example is sea otters. They eat sea urchins, which if left unchecked, can remove the kelp forests that hundreds of species rely on. <br><br>Now, let's talk about **trophic cascades**, which is when the loss of one animal effects the rest of the food chain. A common example is the reintroduction of wolves to Yellowstone, but let's use the example of the otters above. <br><br>Before the fur trade, kelp forests thrived and were able to support a diverse array of species. When the otters were hunted to near extinction, the sea urchins had no natural predators, and were able to overgraze the kelp forests, and the ecosystem fell apart. When the otters were reintroduced, the urchins were again kept in check, and the kelp began to regrow, and the ecosystem recovered. <br><br>Finally, let's talk about **invasive species**. An invasive species is something from one place that is introduced to another, usually by human activity, and occupies a niche that was either vacant or is crucial to the ecosystem. The most common example is the cane toad in Australia. <br><br>So now that we've covered all of that, let's talk about the actual habitat part. <br><br>**Plant community** is the easiest way to define a habitat, as they're adapted to fit the environment, and are the best indicator of what climate a particular area has, as well as what type of animals may rely on it. A common example is the palm tree, which is ubiquitous in warm climates, but can't survive freezing temperatures, and is a bad sign for a cold climate. <br><br>**Succession** is the change in species composition of plant communities after a disturbance. There are four stages to succession, and each stage provides a different type of habitat. <br><br>Pioneer: pioneer succession is the first stage, and is characterized by the growth of species that are adapted to disturbed environments and can thrive until the soil is depleted, or competition from other species is too strong. Lichens and mosses are the most common pioneer species. <br><br>Each stage is defined by how much shade is tolerated. The first stages are well adapted to full sun, while the final stages tolerate full shade. <br><br>This is where **Garrigue** comes in. There's usually an adaptation phase between pioneer and shrub, and often between shrub and forest, where a fire adapted landscape takes hold, and is usually characterized by hardy plants that are low to the ground and produce flammable gases. <br><br>Shrub: shrub succession is characterized by the growth of new shrubs and seedlings. They usually block full sun, but still tolerate a fair amount, and are usually accompanied by the pioneer species. <br><br>Woodland: woodland succession is characterized by the most shade tolerant species, and is often accompanied by the other three stages. <br><br>Finally, **Climax**. This is the final stage of succession, and is characterized by a diverse and well adapted community that is in equilibrium with the climate and physical environment, and requires no disturbance to thrive, and is usually unable to recover from a disturbance. <br><br>So hopefully this helps you guys build your worlds, and create more realistic environments for your stories to take place in. <br><br>Edit: Grammar.