1.2: What is a ‘habitat’?

To understand habitats it is essential that one is clear on exactly what a habitat is. The term habitat is used frequently in nature conservation and ecology and so any examination of wildlife habitat should surely start with a definition of the term?

Despite looking in various sources I have not actually found a definition; it seems that the assumption is made that everyone knows what a habitat is! I decided, then, to go back to basics and look in my dictionary. This is its definition of habitat:

• A natural home of an animal or plant
• The place in which a person, group, class, etc is normally found

Home is where the heart (or food) is

There are many variants of the word habitat; habitation, inhabit, habitable and so on, all connected to where something or someone lives. So what is a natural home for an animal or plant? I would suggest for animals there are two driving factors:

• A plentiful and appropriate food supply
• shelter and somewhere safe to raise a family

For plants this is basically the same but with a slight difference:

• A plentiful supply of light, moisture and essential minerals 
• Minimal competition for those resources

This means each animal or plant has a preferred habitat or natural home that provides it with food and safety. That may seem obvious but it is a point often overlooked by some casual wildlife observers despite being vital in understanding how nature works.