Mesic

Mesic is an ecological term used to describe habitats and organisms associated with moderate moisture. It denotes conditions that are neither particularly dry (xeric) nor wet (hydric). In botany and ecology, mesic refers to both the environment and the plants or animals that prefer such conditions. Soil moisture in mesic environments is typically sufficient for regular plant growth and does not regularly become waterlogged; in soils, moisture near field capacity during the growing season is common.

Common mesic habitats include temperate forests, woodlands, and grasslands with reliable rainfall, where species exhibit balanced hydration and do not require extreme irrigation. Mesic plants generally tolerate periodic droughts but depend on consistent moisture availability; they may be outcompeted by xeric specialists in drier microhabitats or by hydric species in wetlands.

The term contrasts with xeric, indicating dry habitats with low water availability, and hydric, indicating saturated or swampy conditions. It is sometimes used in climate and soil science to describe an intermediate moisture regime, though exact moisture thresholds vary by region and taxon.

Mesic also appears as a transliteration of a Slavic surname, most commonly written as Mesić with diacritics. In English-language texts the surname may appear as Mesic. Notable people with the surname include the Croatian statesman Stjepan Mesić.