Habitat of Living Things – JSS2 Basic Science Lesson Note (First Term)

A habitat is the natural place where a plant, an animal or another organism lives and finds what it needs to survive.

Behavioural objectives

By the end of the lesson, students should be able to:

1. define a habitat;
2. list the five main types of habitat;
3. describe forest, desert, aquatic, grassland and tundra habitats;
4. name animals that live in some of these habitats;
5. explain why plants and animals are suited to the habitats in which they live.

What is a habitat?

A habitat is the natural environment in which a plant, an animal or another organism lives.

• Food: the habitat supplies what the organism eats.
• Shelter: the habitat gives a place to rest and stay safe from weather.
• Protection: the habitat gives places to hide from enemies.
• Mates: the habitat is where organisms find partners for reproduction.
• Size: a habitat can be big, like a forest, or small, like a leaf or a pond.

Why do living things live in different habitats?

Living things live in different habitats because each kind needs its own living conditions to survive.

• Different needs: whales need sea water, whereas goldfish need fresh water.
• One or many habitats: some animals can live in more than one habitat, and some can live in only one.
• Adaptation: every plant and animal is suited to the conditions of its own habitat.
• Example 1: a rattlesnake could not live in the Arctic for a very long time.
• Example 2: a walrus could not live in the desert.

How are plants and animals adapted to their habitats?

An adaptation is a feature of an organism that helps it to survive in its habitat.

• Camel (desert): stores fat in its hump and has wide feet that do not sink in sand.
• Cactus (desert): stores water in its stem and has spines instead of broad leaves.
• Fish (water): breathes with gills and swims with fins.
• Polar bear (tundra): has thick fur and a layer of fat to keep warm.
• Giraffe (grassland): has a long neck for reaching leaves on tall trees.
• Mangrove (coastal): has special roots that grow in muddy, salty water.

What are the types of habitat?

There are five main types of habitat: forest, desert, aquatic, grassland and tundra.

1. Forest habitat: a large area covered with many trees.
2. Desert habitat: a dry area with very little rainfall.
3. Aquatic habitat: a water habitat such as a river or the sea.
4. Grassland habitat: a wide open area covered with grass.
5. Tundra habitat: a cold area where the ground stays frozen.

What is a forest habitat?

A forest is a habitat that covers a large area where many trees, plants and animals live.

• Shade and protection: forest plants give shade and protection to many kinds of animal.
• Number of types: there are three types of forest: deciduous, coniferous and rain forest.

Deciduous forest

A deciduous forest is a forest found in cool, rainy areas.

• Where: the middle of Europe and the eastern half of North America.
• Climate: animals must adjust to cold winters and hot summers.
• Shelter: the trees give shelter to the animals.
• Animals: black bear, grey squirrel, turkey and rat snake.

Coniferous forest

A coniferous forest is a forest of cone-bearing trees found in cold northern lands.

• Where: Europe and Canada.
• Taiga: the northern coniferous forests are called taiga.
• Size: taiga is the largest type of forest habitat in the world.
• Animals: fewer than in deciduous forests, because cold weather makes life hard.
• Examples: lynx, moose, squirrel, loon and hawk owl.

Rain forest

A tropical rain forest is a warm, wet forest found in regions near the equator.

• Climate: very warm with plenty of rainfall.
• Animals: most of them live on the trees.
• Nigerian example: the rain forest belt in the south of Nigeria.

What is a desert habitat?

A desert is a dry region with a wide temperature range and less than about 254 mm (10 inches) of rainfall in a year.

What are the types of desert?

There are two types of desert: hot and dry desert, and cold desert.

• Hot and dry desert: found mostly near the Tropic of Cancer or the Tropic of Capricorn, as in the Sahara.
• Cold desert: has little rainfall and cold winters, as in the Gobi Desert in Asia.

• Hot desert animals: camel, kangaroo rat, jack rabbit and scorpion.

What is an aquatic habitat?

An aquatic habitat is a region covered with water where plants and animals live.

• Medium: water is the medium in which the organisms live.
• Number of types: there are three types: freshwater, marine and coastal habitats.

Freshwater habitat

A freshwater habitat is a water body filled with fresh water.

• Examples: rivers, lakes, ponds and streams.
• Salt: the water has a very low concentration of salts.
• Hydrophytes: plants that grow in water.

Marine habitat

A marine habitat is an ocean or a sea.

• Life: many different kinds of organisms live in it.
• Examples: corals, shelled animals, sponges, jellyfish and sharks.

Coastal habitat (estuary)

A coastal habitat is the region where land meets the sea.

• Estuary: formed when salt water mixes with fresh water.
• Plants: mangrove trees grow here, as in the Niger Delta.
• Animals: they are well adapted to live in these regions.

What is a grassland habitat?

A grassland is a big open space of grass with few or no trees.

• Share of land: about one-quarter of the land on earth is grassland.
• Trees: grasslands lack trees and heavy bushes.
• Animals: large herds of grazing animals such as bison, giraffe, lion, zebra and ostrich.

What are the types of grassland?

There are two types of grassland: temperate grassland and tropical grassland.

• Temperate grassland: lies farther from the equator.
• Tropical grassland: lies closest to the equator.

What is a tundra habitat?

A tundra is a very cold habitat where the ground is frozen for much of the year and trees cannot grow.

• Number of types: there are two major types: Arctic tundra and alpine tundra.
• Arctic tundra: frozen for much of the year, with permanently frozen ground below the surface.
• Alpine tundra: found at high altitudes on mountains around the world.
• Share of land: about one-fifth of the earth’s land is tundra.
• Animals: snowbirds, mosquitoes, flies, polar bears and wolves.
• Adaptation: the animals are well adapted to the cold.

How do the five habitats compare?

The table below sums up the main features of each habitat.

Evaluation

1. What is a habitat?
2. List the five main types of habitat.
3. Name the three divisions of aquatic habitat and give one example of each.
4. What is the difference between temperate grasslands and tropical grasslands?
5. Why can a rattlesnake not live in the Arctic for a very long time?

Assignment

Choose any two habitats from forest, grassland and tundra. Describe each one and name two animals that live there.