February 2014          

From Biomes to Habitats

There are many, many terms to wade through when learning about the world's ecology.  Some are clearer than others, and some may be defined differently by different scientists.  We'll do our best to clear up many terms in this newsletter, but be warned that people will still have varying definitions.  Here's what we'll attempt to explain:  ecozones, biomes, ecoregions, ecosystems, communities, habitats and niches.  Ready?  

A simple, often used, definition of a habitat is that it is an animal or plant's home.  However, this is often not entirely true, and doesn't tell the whole story.  A habitat needs to include all the items necessary for an organism to live - its food, water, shelter and space.  Therefore, a nest is not a habitat for a bird, even though some might call it the bird's home.  Our own homes do include our food, water, shelter, and in some sense, our space.  This is not necessarily true of wild animals.  A better way of looking at habitat for a plant or especially an animal, is as a neighborhood, where all of these needs can be met. 

Space is usually the most aspect that students don't initially think of when asked about needs of animals.  Obviously, an animal such as a spider has a much smaller spacial need than a mountain lion would, for example.    

e-mail: gabi@sjma.org or mk@sjma.org