What is habitat?

Concept of Habitat:

The term habitat originates from the Latin word 'habitātus', which in English language is synonymous (or can be likened) to a natural territory, natural environment, or a natural home.

A habitat refers to the home of living organisms. Simply put, it is the natural environment where organisms live. Organisms in this regard will refer to animals, plants, fungi, protists, monerans and archaea respectively.

You can read on protists explained with their characteristics here.

The habitat support its organisms by providing them with food, shelter, space, and mates. These are necessary for the growth, development and reproduction of all organisms dwelling in a habitat. Furthermore, organisms possess various features that help them adapt to their habitat.

Please read on the basic characteristics of living organisms here.

The adaptative features possessed by species of organisms are crucial for the organisms' survival. For instance, the zebra lives in the savanna, alongside the lion and other predators. In order to adapt and survive in this environment, it has a striped appearance which gives it a form of dazzle camouflage. During a chase by its predator, the striped appearance breaks up the zebra's appearance, making it difficult for predators to accurately calculate its distance when chasing it. This gives rise to the predator's misplaced strikes during hunting. 

Apart from the above adaptive feature of the zebra, it also has a powerful hindlimb and hoof which can be used to strike a devastating kick on an attacking predator.

You can read interesting facts for students in biology here.

The needs of organisms within their habitat can be specific or flexible. As an instance, the needs of an earthworm can be quite specific towards its survival. In this regard, most earthworm species requires a moist soil with little amounts of sunlight, alongside the presence of dead plant materials for nutrition. For this reason, they are most abundant in the rainforests. However, they are also present in areas with moist soil and little sunlight around our environment.

The term 'ecology' refers to the study of organisms in relation to their environment, habitat (or where they dwell and thrive). Therefore, scientist who study the habitat of organisms are termed ecologists.

Please read the concept of ecology here.

The physical space occupied by an organism within a habitat and its functional role in that habitat is termed ecological nitch. You can think of an ecological nitch as the specific location and occupation of an organism within its habitat. For example, a caterpillar (or butterfly larva) and an aphid may live on different parts of the same same plant, performing different functions. In this regard, the caterpillar typically thrive on the leaves, while the aphid may dwell on the stem of the same plant, getting its nutrition from the sap. As a result, both are said to occupy different ecological nitch on the same plant.

You can read more on ecological nitch and other ecological concepts here.

We also have the concept of a microhabitat. You can think of it as a habitat within a habitat. In this regard, a habitat may have a small region within it, and such region will often be characterized with its unique weather conditions, nutrients, and other resources which are quite different from those present in other parts of the larger habitat.

The composition of a microhabitat will give rise to specific sets of organisms living within it. For example, an oasis may be present within a desert. Think of an oasis as a small fertile area containing water within a desert. Such oasis will present itself as a microhabitat for various organisms compatible with its environmental composition. In this regard, the biotic and abiotic components of a microhabitat is markedly different from those of the general habitat where it is present.

You can read interesting facts for students in biology here.

The concept of habitat in parasitology will refer to the place, location or environment where a parasite thrives. Therefore, the habitat of parasites are typically within the body of humans and other animals, in which both are often referred to as a host. As an instance, the habitat of plasmodium falciparum (which is the malaria parasite) is within the female anopheles mosquito, and the blood of humans respectively. In another example, the human pinworm called Enterobius vermicularis thrives in the colon and rectum of humans. The Ascaris lumbricoides is another parasitic roundworm that dwells in the intestine of humans as its habitat.

You can read key points for students in biology here

Generally, a habitat support all its organisms with the necessary components towards their survival. The factors (or components) that are necessary for the survival of organisms within their habitat can be either biotic or abiotic.

Biotic component of a habitat refers to all the living organisms present in that habitat. These organisms interact with one another to ensure their survival. As an instance, the savanna is a terrestrial habitat comprising of grasses, alongside animals like zebra, buffalo, lions, hyenas and so on. These organisms make up the biotic component of that habitat, and they must interact with one another through a food chain. In this regard, the zebras and buffaloes feed on the grasses, while the lions prey on the zebras and buffaloes respectively.

Please read more on food chain here.

The abiotic factors of a habitat refers to its non-living components. These abiotic components are crucial towards the survival of the habitat's biotic component. Simple put, without the abiotic components, the biotic or living components of the habitat will cease to exist. Examples of abiotic components include the following:

• Climatic factors like temperature, pressure, wind, sunlight, humidity, rainfall, light intensity, and so on.

• Edaphic factors include topography, soil, rocks and so on.

• Inorganic substances. They include mineral salts, vitamins, carbon(IV)oxide, oxygen, nitrogen and other nutrients.

Please read on mineral salts anf macronutrients here.

With regards to plants and their habitat, the necessary conditions required for their survival will include soil, light, water, air, organic matter, minerals and so on. A lack of these abiotic factors may lead to deficiency diseases, or even the death of plant life.

You can read on the deficiencies of micronutrients here.

It is noteworthy to state that abiotic factors like wildfires and drought may also affect the community of organisms (plant and animals) in a habitat.

Habitat can be generally put into three types. These are terrestrial, aquatic and arboreal habitat respectively.

Terrestrial habitat is present on land, and can be grouped (or divided) into the following:

• Grassland or Savanna
  Please read the concept of a savanna biome here.

• Tropical rainforest

• Desert
  Please read more on desert here

• Montane forest

• Tundra

• Afro-alphines

• Temperate forest

• Boreal forest or Taigas

• Plantation forest

Examples of terrestrial organisms include cattle, poultry animals, mountain animals, fox, tiger, insects, cats, rattlesnake, various land plants like orange, cactus, and so on.

Please read a detailed explanation on terrestrial habitat here.

Aquatic habitat is a home to organisms that thrives in water. It can be put into the following types:

• Ocean

• Sea

• River

• Lake

• Pond

• Wetlands

• Coral reef

• Marshes

• Bug

• Swamps
  You can read on swamp forest here.

• Lagoons

Examples of aquatic organisms include fishes, sea lion, crab, shrimp, aquatic insects, whales, eels, algae, seaweed, wild rice, water caltrop, water hyacinth, fragrant water lily and so on.

Please read explanations on aquatic habitat alongside its types here.

Arboreal habitats refers to various parts of trees where organisms live and thrive upon. In this regard, an arboreal habitat can be present on the root, stem, leaves, branches, flowers, and even the holes within a tree.

You can attempt Len Academy basic science question for JSS3 here.

Arboreal habitat are most abundant in the tropical rainforest where numerous trees are present. These trees serve as home to a variety of animals, and even certain plants termed epiphytes. Examples of arboreal organisms include birds, monkeys, insects, lizards, squirrels, koalas, sloths, cats, snakes and so on.