A habitat is the natural environment where a particular organism lives. It provides the food, water, shelter, and space an organism needs to survive and reproduce. A habitat can be large, like a forest, or small, like the inside of a rotting log. The boundaries are defined by the organism. A salamander's habitat is the damp leaf litter and streams of a forest floor. A hawk's habitat is the open sky and the tall trees it nests in. The same forest serves as habitat for thousands of species, each using a different part of it.

Habitat loss is the leading cause of species decline worldwide. When forests are cleared, wetlands drained, or grasslands converted to farmland, the species that depend on those habitats disappear. Fragmentation makes things worse. A patch of forest surrounded by roads and fields may be too small to support wide-ranging animals like bears or cougars. Edges become hotter, drier, and more exposed to predators. Connectivity matters. Wildlife corridors that link patches of habitat allow animals to move, find mates, and adapt to changing conditions.

What a habitat provides

• Food and water.
• Shelter and nesting sites.
• Space to move and migrate.
• Conditions for breeding and rearing young.

Protecting habitat is not just about setting aside land. It is about keeping that land healthy, connected, and large enough to support the species that depend on it.