Habitat
A habitat is the physical place where an organism lives. It provides the conditions and resources that allow the organism to survive and reproduce.
Ecological niche: The role and requirements of a species within its environment, including its resource use and interactions. A habitat describes where an organism lives; its niche describes how it lives there.
Habitat selection: The process by which an organism uses cues and experience to choose among available places to live or forage. Selection determines which available places an organism actually occupies.
Habitat conservation: The protection and management of places that support wild organisms and ecological communities. Conservation aims to maintain the places species need to persist.
Habitat loss: The reduction or elimination of suitable places for organisms to live, often through land-use change. It directly removes the places organisms depend on for survival and reproduction.
Abiotic component: A nonliving physical or chemical part of an ecosystem, such as water, temperature, or soil. These conditions help determine which organisms can live in a habitat.
Habitat fragmentation: The division of continuous habitat into smaller, more isolated patches, often by human land use. Fragmentation changes habitat size, connectivity, and exposure to surrounding land.
Habitat restoration: The process of assisting the recovery of a degraded, damaged, or destroyed ecosystem. Restoration can recover habitat structure and ecological functions.
Biodiversity loss: A decline in the variety of life, including genes, species, and ecosystems. When habitats disappear or degrade, species and ecological communities can be lost.
Biotic component: A living part of an ecosystem, including organisms and their interactions. Predators, competitors, and food sources help shape the suitability of a habitat.
Habitat corridor: A strip or chain of suitable habitat connecting otherwise separated habitat patches. Corridors can let organisms move between patches and reach resources or mates.