Biomes
Earth is also known as a biosphere. A biosphere is made up of all the environments that can sustain life. Biospheres are broken up into biomes. Biomes are defined by climate. There are six terrestrial, or land, biomes on earth: tundra, taiga, temperate, desert, savanna, and tropical rain forest. The characteristics of a biome are determined by the way that water and heat move from the equator. On the equator, it is hot and wet because it is the tropical rain forest. The water from the tropical rain forest evaporates and is turned into dry air, which moves away from the equator and sinks at 30 degrees latitude, making deserts there. The dry air is made wet at 60 degrees latitude and then there is humidity and water there, creating the taiga.
Ecosystems and Niches
Inside biomes, there are ecosystems. An ecosystem is an area that contains interacting populations, including the biotic and abiotic components. Every species in an ecosystem has a role, or a niche. An organism's niche determines where it lives, what it eats, and what eats it. When two species occupy the same niche, they compete until one dies out or leaves.
Cowrie Snail Niche
Cowrie snails live in coral reefs and sponges to hide. They most commonly only go out to find food at night, when it's dark. They are often eaten by each other and other sea snails. As Live Aquaria states, "While small, it will eat some algae and scavenge for scraps, but as an adult, it will eat some anemones, sponges, and soft corals." [1]