LAGA'S DIVERSITY OF LIFE

Laga's surface is remarkably diverse. In climate, soils, vegetation, and animal life. As was explained in the description of the water ecology of the planet, deserts differ from forests, which differ from tropical areas and cold tundras. Life in the different communities is characterized by many different levels of organization. The different ecosystems are linked to each other by biological, chemical and physical process. Inputs and outputs of energy, gases, inorganic chemicals, and organic compounds can cross ecosystems boundaries by way of meteorological factors, such as wind and precipitation, geological factors such as running water and gravity, and biological factors such as the movement of animals. Except for energy from the star Kadesh, all others requirements for life, such as water, oxygen, and nutrients, are supplied by the utilization and recycling of materials already contained within the system.

SOME ENERGETIC CONSIDERATIONS

With the exception of chemosynthetic organisms, all life forms obtain their organic nutrients either directly or indirectly from photosynthesis. The total amount of energy that photosynthesis converts into organic matter is the gross primary productivity. In Laga, plants use about 67% of their gross productivity in their own metabolism. The remaining is the net primary productivity, which will provide the necessary energy for the heterotrophic organisms.

Because of the loss of energy with the passage of each trophic level, due to several factors, the amount of energy that passes from one trophic level to the another is limited.This loss of energy from one level to another makes the continuation of life to depend on the energy supply from the sun. In other words there is not an energy cycle.

The availability of energy profoundly affects the trophic structure of ecosystems. So does the availability of nutrients. These vital elements for life are part of the biogeochemical cycles, this meaning that the essential elements for life are transferred from the environment, to organisms, then back to the environment. Oxygen and hydrogen move in the form of water molecules through the hydrological cycle, and carbon and the mineral elements move through atmospheric and sedimentary cycles. Laga's characteristics are beneficial for some the nutrients, but are detrimental for others.

The ratio of nitrogen to oxygen is higher than on Earth, this will favor the formation of nitrous compounds, but it will produce less free oxygen to form carbon dioxide. This is probably the reason for not having large animals in Laga. Large animals need great amount of oxygen and food. On the other hand, the slow growing process of plants keeps the plant smaller for a longer time. Small and young plants do not need much energy for photosynthesis, consequently the net productivity is high. This fact seems to agree with the fact that the albedo of Laga is greater than of Earth, and the incoming energy is less than of Earth. This two factors combined would have produced a running ice age, which has not happened in the planet. The only possible explanation is that the high concentration of water vapor found here is producing remarkable greenhouse effects, which keeps the thermal energy in the atmosphere..

NITROGEN CYCLE

LAGA'S BIOMES

Laga presents a variety of climate that goes from semitropical forests close to the equatorial belt to cold tundras in both, southern and northern hemisphere.

Here is some additional information about different ecological systems.

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