Habitat

A habitat is the place where an organism lives. It provides the conditions and resources the organism needs to survive and reproduce, such as food, water, shelter and a suitable temperature.Examples: the habitat of a limpet is a rocky seashore; the habitat of a trout is a cool, fast-flowing, well-oxygenated river; the habitat of a bluebell is deciduous woodland.Within a habitat there are smaller areas with their own particular conditions, called microhabitats. For example, in a woodland the underside of a log is dark, damp and cool, and is the microhabitat of woodlice, while the canopy is bright, dry and windy. Many small organisms are found only in one microhabitat because they are adapted to its conditions.Habitats are defined by their abiotic factors (such as light, temperature, moisture and soil) and their biotic factors (such as the plants that provide food and cover). If a habitat changes or is destroyed, organisms that depend on it must move, adapt or die, which is why habitat loss is a major threat to biodiversity.Habitat and niche. Do not confuse these. The habitat is where an organism lives, like an address. The niche is how it lives there: its role in the ecosystem, including what it eats, what eats it and the conditions it tolerates, like a job. Two species can share a habitat, but if they share exactly the same niche, one will outcompete the other.