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.