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Habitat Study Guide
Vocabulary
Aquatic Ecosystems: Habitats with fresh or salt water. Ponds, marshes, streams,
swamps, rivers, and oceans are water-related.
Ecosystem: a community of living and nonliving things that work together.
Habitat: a place where an animal lives.
Terrestrial Ecosystems: habitats that are on land. Desert, grassland, rain forest,
and forest are dry-land.
Population: a group of organisms of the same kind that live in the same place.
Examples: a flock of swans in a pond, a school of fish in a river, and a herd of cattle
in a grassland.
Community: all of the populations that live together in the same place. Examples: a
forest made up of trees, squirrels, worms, rabbits, and hawks; an ocean made up of
fish, crabs, and seaweed.
Conservation: using natural resources carefully so that they don’t run out. This
includes protecting animals and plants.
Desert: a dry, hot ecosystem (which gets very cool in the evenings) with very little
rainfall. Animals that live here include: lizards, snakes, cactus wrens, and black
widow spiders. Plants that live here include: the sagebrush and cactus.
Grassland: a grassy dry-land ecosystem with hot summers and cold winters. Plants
that live here include: buffalo grass and purple needlegrass. Animals that live here
include: coyote, deer, lions, and giraffes.
Rain forest: a warm, dry land-ecosystem that gets a great deal of rain every year.
Plants that live here include: the buttress rooted tree and the bromeliad.
Forest: a dry-land ecosystem, which usually has four distinct seasons and typically
gets a good amount of rain. Plants that live here include: oak and maple trees.
Animals that live here include: skunks, squirrels, rabbits, and deer.
Streams and Rivers: fresh water ecosystems. Their climate depends on where they
are located. Streams and rivers can be found around the world. Plants that live here
include: cattails and rushes. Animals that live here include: carp, catfish, and
salmon.
Marshland: Marshes are a wetland, which means they have standing water. They can
be salt or fresh water. The water is deeper in a marsh than in a swamp. The main
plant in a marshland is grass. Animals that live in a marshland include oyster,
shrimp, crane, and deer.
Ocean: a large, salt water-related habitat. The temperature depends on the
location and the season. The main ocean plant is sea weed. Animals that live in the
ocean include: sponges, fish, dolphins, and sharks.
Swamp: a type of wetland that can contain fresh or salt water. The water is shallow
and slow moving. The temperature of the swamp depends on the season and the
location. Swamp plants include: the water tupelo, bald Cyprus, and duckweed.
Swamp animals include: warblers, herons, alligators, and black bears.
Pond: a small, fresh-water habitat. It is shallow enough for sunlight to reach the
bottom. Algae and grass are the main pond plants. Frogs, turtles, and fish are the
main pond animals.
Runoff: when pollution is washed into lakes, rivers, or streams.
Fire: when an animal’s habitat is burned.
Flood: when there is too much rain and a dry habitat is covered in water.
Disease: when animals or plants get sick.
Erosion: when soil is blown or washed away. This hurts plants. This can be
prevented by planting plants.
Examples
Population:
Four turtles are an
ocean population.
Community:
A spider is a forest population.
Many different birds, trees, monkeys,
and bugs are a rainforest
community.
Desert:
Grassland:
A rattlesnake, camel, mongoose,
and oryx are a desert
community.
Forest:
Rain Forest:
Ocean:
Pond:
Streams and Rivers:
Marshland:
Swamp:
Fire:
Flood:
Disease:
Erosion:
Application:
How do animals within each habitat share limited resources?
In a desert, animals share cacti for shelter, food, and water.
Within water-related ecosystems animals share the water as well as food sources.
In the rainforest and forest, animals share trees to use as shelter.
In the grassland, animals share the grass for food.
How do animals adapt to each ecosystem?
Desert animals are adapted to survive without water for long periods of time. For
example, the camel stores water.
Forest animals are camouflaged to live in the forest.
Animals in water-related habitats are adapted to live and breathe within water.
Animals in the grasslands of Africa (such as zebra and antelope) adapt to their
predators by travelling in herds.
Online Games:
http://www.switcheroozoo.com/games/habitatgame.htm
http://www.scholastic.com/magicschoolbus/games/habitat/index.htm
http://www.arkive.org/education/games/animal-survival
http://funschool.kaboose.com/preschool/amazinganimals/games/game_animal_homes.html