A habitat is the natural home of a plant or animal. It gives them food, water and shelter. Different habitats suit different living things: a fish needs a pond or the sea, a camel lives in a hot desert, and a polar bear lives in the snowy Arctic.
A microhabitat is a very small habitat, such as under a log, in a crack in a wall or under a leaf. Woodlice like dark, damp places under logs, so they do not dry out. When you explore a microhabitat, be gentle and put stones and logs back the way you found them, so the animals keep their home.
Worked example
Why do woodlice live under stones and logs?
- Woodlice dry out easily in the sun.
- Under a log it is dark and damp.
Answer:So it is a good microhabitat for them.
Key words
- habitat
- the natural home of a living thing
- microhabitat
- a very small habitat, like under a log
- shelter
- a safe place to hide or rest
- survive
- stay alive
Practise this
New questions every time.
NGSS-referenced: 2-LS4-1