Habitat Vocabulary

ecosystem

• All the living and nonliving things in a place.

community

• All the living things in an ecosystem. It consists of many different populations.

population

• All the members of a single type of organism. For example, all the American Alligators in a swamp.

habitat

• a living things home

organism

• A specific type of plant or animal.

marsh

• An area of wet, low land. It usually contains a large amount of grass and no trees. Similar to a swamp, but swamps usually have trees.

coast

• The land that borders a sea or ocean

piedmont

An area of land that is made up of a series of rolling hills and occasional mountains. Its name means foot of the mountain

adaptation

A special characteristic that helps an animal survive. For example, a chameleon changes colors to blend into its environment.

natural resource

• All the “nature made” things that are useful in your environment

• Minerals, timber, land, and water are examples of natural resources

conservation

• The act of protecting our resources; including the land, water, plants, animals and air. Save the whales

environment

• The things that make up an area like land, water, and air.

recycle

• When you treat something so it can be used again.

shelter

• One of the basic needs provided by a habitat, that helps protect an organism and offers it a safe place to rest or reproduce.

non-living

• Something that is not alive, like a rock or dirt.

endangered

• A living organism that is threatened with extinction. The right whale is an endangered species of Georgia.

contamination

• pollution, to make impure

weathering

The destruction or discoloring action on resources caused by air, water, or frost, especially on rock or wood

energy

• the ability to do work

• living organisms need food to provide them with energy

external feature

• The visible features of a plant or animal that help the animal survive in a given habitat.

• For example, the spoonbill has a spoon-shaped beak to help him catch fish.