The remaining fragmented habitats of the African Elephant

A distribution map showing the bird Larus marinus's range and breeding grounds

A habitat (which is Latin for "it inhabits") is an ecological or environmental area that is inhabited by a particular 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]} Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Habitat fragmentation is a process of environmental change important in evolution and conservation biology. ... Distribution of Loxodonta africana (2007) Species Loxodonta adaurora (extinct) Loxodonta africana Loxodonta cyclotis African elephants are the two species of elephants in the genus Loxodonta, one of the two existing genera in Elephantidae. ... Binomial name Larus marinus (Linnaeus, 1758) The Great Black-backed Gull, Larus marinus, is a very large gull which breeds on the European and North American coasts and islands of the North Atlantic. ... For other uses, see Latins and Latin (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Species (disambiguation). ...

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. Biogeography is the science which deals with questions of species patterns of distribution and the process that resulted in such patterns. ...

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. Where appreciation for the importance of biodiversity meets the New Urbanism, youll find the pursuit of the creation of urban wilderness. ...

Ecological use

The term "habitat" can be used more easily in ecology. It was originally defined as the physical conditions that surround a species, or species population, or assemblage of species, or community (Clements and Shelford, 1939). Thus, it is not just a species population that has a habitat, but an assemblage of many species living together in the same place that essentially share a habitat. In ecology, the habitat shared by many species is called a biotope. A biome is the set of flora and fauna which live in a habitat and occupy a certain geography. For the journal, see Ecology (journal). ... In ecology, a community is an assemblage of populations of different species, interacting with one another. ... Biotope is an English loanword derived from the German Biotop, which in turn came from the Greek bios=life or organism and topos=place. (The related word geotope has made its way into the English language by the same route, from the German Geotop.) So a biotope is literally an... A biome is a climatically and geographically defined area of ecologically similar communities of plants, animals, and soil organisms, often referred to as ecosystems. ...

Habitats can provide greater protection from big animals, for example, a thick undergrowth where an animal such as the Kudu may hide or go unnoticed. Male Greater Kudu Female Greater Kudu The Kudu are two species of antelope: Lesser Kudu, Tragelaphus imberbis Greater Kudu, Tragelaphus strepsiceros Kudu: has a symbolic role in Hindu and Buddhist architecture. ...

Threats

Habitat destruction is a major factor in causing a species population to decrease, eventually leading to its being endangered, or even to its extinction. Large scale land clearing usually results in the removal of native vegetation and habitat destruction. Bushfires and poor fire management, pest and weed invasion, cyclone and storm damage can also destroy habitat. Habitat destruction is a process of land use change in which one habitat-type is removed and replaced with another habitat-type. ... For other uses, see Extinction (disambiguation). ... Backburning in Townsville, Australia. ... Lantana invasion of abandoned citrus plantation; Moshav Sdey Hemed, Israel The term invasive species refers to a subset of introduced species or non-indigenous species that are rapidly expanding outside of their native range. ...

One of the roles of national parks, nature reserves and other protected areas is to provide adequate refuge to animals by preserving habitat. This article is about national parks. ... It has been suggested that Reserve design be merged into this article or section. ...

Human habitat

Main article: Human habitat

Human habitat is the environment in which human beings live, work, play and move about. It is not just a dwelling place – a house - but the sum of all factors that constitute the total environment. The term habitat comes from ecology, and includes many interrelated features, especially the immediate physical environment, the urban environment or the social environment. ...

See also

• Biological exponential growth

References

1. ^ Dickinson, C.I. 1963. British Seaweeds. The Kew Series
2. ^ Abercrombie, M., Hickman, C.J. and Johnson, M.L. 1966.A Dictionary of Biology. Penguin Reference Books, London

Further reading

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