by Darren Oldman & Helen Gould

This article is written from notes taken at the writers' group discussion meeting on January 30th.

Life evolves to fill a niche and is shaped by the environment. 

You should consider for example what organs or body parts would be essential for survival.

A planet suitable for sustaining life such as our own has 4 broad environmental zones and there effects on indigenous creatures are as follows;

1. Equatorial Rainforests - High temperatures, high humidity lots of moisture. Dense forests with very large trees and other oversized vegetation. Ideal for tree dwelling creatures.

2. Deserts - extremes of temperature either hot, cold or hot in the day and cold at night, very little rainfall or very sporadic. Composed of either sand, salt, or volcanic ash (black sand). Vegetation spiney, spikey, thick leaved, for conserving moisture, acidic, waxey or grey leaves. Creatures must be able to survive without much water either by reducing their need, or with a means of conservation. Dormant periods for either the high heat of midday or the freezing cold of night, migration to reproduce in better conditions. Ideally suited for cold blooded creatures, or insect like creatures with an exoskeleton that require very little water.

3. Temperate - The widest range of environments including beaches, rivers, forest - evergreen or deciduous, swamp and marsh, fenland - natural or reclaimed, peat bog, hills, mountains and caves. Also includes at the northern edge of the zone, steppe - cold open grassland, and at the southern edge, savannah - hot dry grassland. This region is affected with the most variations in weather with hot or cold spells and drought or excessive rain and flooding, also the most seasonal variations and the best for farming.

4. Sub-Polar and Polar - There is very little if any vegetation and is virtually treeless. Longer periods of light and darkness, can result in different perception of time. Creatures must be resistant to cold, mostly marine life, no insects or cold blooded creatures can survive in this zone. Food source is mostly by predation, and mostly on marine life as it is most abundant. Sheltered environments, caves, hot springs and areas round volcanoes are more favourable. Senses affected by extreme cold and long periods of light and darkness, smell less effective or not at all due to the affect of sub-zero air, pronounced hearing or ability to see body heat would be advantageous if preying on land animals.