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. Habitat fragmentation is a process of environmental change important in Evolution and Conservation biology. African elephants are the species of Elephants in the Genus Loxodonta, one of the two existing genera in Elephantidae. A thematic map displays spatial pattern of a theme or series of attributes 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 Latin ( lingua Latīna, laˈtiːna is an Italic language, historically spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. In Biology, a species is one of the basic units of Biological classification and a Taxonomic rank. ^[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. In Biology a population is the collection of inter-breeding organisms of a particular Species; in Sociology

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. Biogeography is the study of the distribution of Biodiversity over Space and Time. 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. Where appreciation for the importance of biodiversity meets the New Urbanism movement one can find the pursuit of the creation of urban wilderness.

Ecological use

The term "habitat" can be used more broadly in ecology. Ecology (from Greek grc οἶκος oikos, "house(hold" and grc -λογία -logia) is the scientific study of 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). In Ecology, a community is an assemblage of Populations of different Species, interacting with one another 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. Biotope is an area of uniform environmental conditions providing a living place for a specific assemblage of plants and animals. A biome is the set of flora and fauna which live in a habitat and occupy a certain geography. A biome is a climatically and geographically defined area of ecologically similar climatic conditions such as communities of Plants Animals and

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. Kudu is an alternate spelling for kuzu the Japanese word for the plant Kudzu.

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. Habitat destruction is the process in which natural Habitat is rendered functionally unable to support the species originally present In Biology and Ecology, extinction is the cessation of existence of a Species or group of taxa. 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. Ladysmith-RFSJPG|right|thumb| Ladysmith NSW RFS fire fighting tanker]]A Bushfire is a Fire that occurs in the bush (collective term for Introduced species|Weed Invasive species is a phrase with several definitions

One of the roles of national parks, nature reserves and other protected areas is to provide adequate refuge to animals by preserving habitat. A national park is a reserve of land usually declared and owned by a national Government, protected from most Human development and pollution nature reserve ( natural reserve, nature preserve, natural preserve) is a Protected area of importance for Wildlife, flora Protected areas are locations which receive protection because of their environmental cultural or similar value

Human habitat

Main article: Human habitat

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

See also

• Biological exponential growth

References

1. ^ Dickinson, C. When the resources availability is unlimited in the Habitat, the Population of an organism living in the habitat grows in an Exponential or geometric fashion 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. Frederic Edward Clements ( September 16, 1874 - July 26, 1945) was an American Plant ecologist and pioneer in the study Shelford. 1939. Bio-ecology. John Wiley & Sons, New York. 425 pp.
• Social Production of Habitat