Habitat

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The remaining fragmented habitats of the African Elephant

A distribution map showing the range and breeding grounds of Great Black-backed Gulls

A habitat (which is Latin for "it inhabits") is an ecological or environmental area that is inhabited by a particular animal or plant species.^[1][2] It is the natural environment in which an organism lives, or the physical environment that surrounds (influences and is utilized by) a species population.^{[citation needed]}

The term "species population" is preferred to "organism" because, while it is possible to describe the habitat of a single black bear, we may not find any particular or individual bear but the grouping of bears that comprise a breeding population and occupy a certain biogeographical area. Further, this habitat could be somewhat different from the habitat of another group or population of black bears living elsewhere. Thus it is neither the species nor the individual for which the term habitat is typically used.

A microhabitat is a physical location that is home to very small creatures, such as woodlice. Microenvironment is the immediate surroundings and other physical factors of an individual plant or animal within its habitat.

Human habitat

Human habitat is the environment in which human beings live, work, play and move about. It is not just a dwelling place.

See also

Environment portal

Ecology portal

Earth_sciences portal

Sustainable development portal

• Avian range expansion
• Biodiversity
• Biological exponential growth
• Conservation biology
• Ecology
• Habitat conservation
• Habitat destruction
• Natural capital
• Phytocoenosis
• Reconciliation ecology
• Source-sink dynamics

Categories

• Category:Habitat maps

References

Further reading

• Clements, Frederic E., and Victor E. Shelford. 1939. Bio-ecology. John Wiley & Sons, New York. 425 pp.

External links

Look up habitat in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

Wikisource has the text of the 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica article habitat.

• Interactive Coastal Habitat Mural from University of Deleware College of Marine and Earth Studies

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