Algae
live in a wide range of habitat. They may be found as aquatic, semi-aquatic or
terrestrial in habitat.
Majority of the
aquatic algae are being found to occur in running and stagnant fresh and saline
water of ponds, ditches, streams, lakes and sea. Examples are – Spirogyra,
Chara, Oedogonium, Nostoc, Dunaliela, Chlamydomonas, etc.
Algae may be free
floating (plankton) or they may remain attached to the bottom of water
(benthos). Benthic algae remain attached to submerged stones (epilithic),
attached to mud or sand (epipelic) or to the bodies of other plants (epiphytic)
and animals (epizoic) by means of organs of attachment, called ‘holdfast’.
Some algae live in
the interface of water and atmosphere (neustonic). Some algae are terrestrial (Chlorella,
Vaucheria, Euglena, etc), being found to occur on moist soil and also the
bark of trees, on damp wood, on rocks and cliffs, etc.
Some members of algae
are associated with other organisms, either as endophytes within the tissues of
other plants and animals or as symbionts in a symbiotic relation with the host
getting mutual benefit or as epiphytes on other plants and animals without
causing any injury.
Some algae are
litophytic (Batrachospermum, Enteromorpha), which are found to occur in
moist surface of rocks and stones. Algae which are occurring on sandy sea
beaches are called Psammon (Vaucheria, Phormidium).
Some algae are found
on permanent snow fields of mountains, e.g. some species of Chlorella,
Hormidium, etc.
Prema Iswary,
Assistant Professor,
Department of Botany.
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