Habitat and Microhabitats

Habitats & Microhabitats

Population

⬜ All the organisms in an ecosystem which belong
to the same species make up a population.

⬜Populations in our area include:

◼ Humans

◼ Deer

◼ Squirrels

◼ Mice

◼ Different types of birds

Community

⬜ All the
populations in
an ecosystem
make up a
community.

⬜ All the birds,
deer, mice,
squirrels, and
humans living
together in
Austin make a
community.

Habitats

⬜ The place an organism lives is its habitat.

⬜ A woodpecker’s habitat is a tree.

⬜ A snake living in the forest uses

the forest floor as its habitat.

⬜ What is your habitat?

What does a habitat

provide?

⬜ An organism’s habitat provides the correct
temperature and amount of moisture an
organism needs.

⬜ For example, a

tadpole’s habitat must include water!

What else does a habitat

provide?

⬜ An organism’s habitat also provides the correct
kinds of food and shelter an organism requires.

⬜ For example, a salamander in the forest
requires dark places to

live and insects to eat.
This is all provided by
the forest floor!

Niche

⬜ A niche describes how an organism survives

⬜How an organism obtains food and shelter

⬜How an organism

avoids danger

⬜How an organism

cares for its
young

⬜ Can you describe

your niche?

So What’s a Microhabitat?

⬜
“Micro” = small or very
small

⬜
Habitat = the place an
organism lives

⬜
So Microhabitat = a
localized (small) habitat
within a larger ecosystem

⬜
An aquarium is a good
example of a microhabitat

Microhabitat Examples

⬜ A log rotting in the woods

⬜ a pond

⬜ a flowing river

⬜ a garden

⬜a school yard

Microhabitat Examples

⬜A log rotting in the woods

⬜What species live here?

◼ Termites

◼ Bacteria

◼ Moss

◼ Fungus

◼ Millipedes

◼ Spiders

◼ Worms

Microhabitats

⬜Each microhabitat supports a variety of species

⬜What about the microhabitat of our
schoolyard?

Variety

⬜ Just as each biome supports different species
due to its environment, each microhabitat
within a biome can support different species

Multiple Choice

A student walks the schoolyard and observes that there are many living things such as different plants and animals. She notices that moss grows in moist shady areas but did not see any in the open yard where its sunny. What is the best explanation for her observation?

• Different habitats support different plants and animals

• All plants and animals can live in any environment

• Schoolyards are not able to sustain living things

• Schoolyards are the only places where moss can grow.

Multiple Choice

A coral reef in the ocean

• Habitat

• Microhabitat

Multiple Choice

Tree Stump

• Habitat

• Microhabitat

Multiple Choice

Temperature, light, air, water, and soil are all  _____  parts of the environment

• alive

• biotic 

• abiotic

• living

Multiple Choice

What are the biotic factors in this image?

• sunlight, elephants, and grasses

• sunlight, water,  and air

• elephants, plants, trees 

Multiple Choice

The place where minibeasts live is called a micro-habitat. What does micro mean?

• Very big

• Very large

• Very small

• Very strong