1. Population
All the organisms in an ecosystem which belong to the same species make up a population.
Populations in our area include:
Humans
Deer
Squirrels
Mice
Different types of birds
Many others!

2. Community All the populations in an ecosystem make up a community.
All the birds, deer, mice, squirrels, and humans living together in Klein make a community.

3. Habitats The place an organism lives is its habitat.
A woodpecker’s habitat is a tree.
A snake living in the forest uses
the forest floor as its habitat.
What is your habitat?

5. What does a habitat provide?
An organism’s habitat provides the correct temperature and amount of moisture an organism needs.
For example, a
tadpole’s habitat
must include water!

6. What else does a habitat provide?
An organisms’ habitat also provides the correct kinds of food and shelter an organism requires.
For example, a salamander in the forest requires dark places to
live and insects to eat.
This is all provided by
the forest floor!

7. Niche A niche describes how an organism survives
How an organism obtains food and shelter
How an organism
avoids danger
cares for its
young
Can you describe
your niche?

8. So What’s a Microhabitat?
The prefix “Micro” = small or very small
Habitat = the place an organism lives
So Microhabitat = a localized (small) habitat within a larger ecosystem
An aquarium is a good example of a microhabitat

9. Microhabitat Examples
A log rotting in the woods
What species live here?
Termites
Bacteria
Moss
Fungus
Millipedes
Spiders
Worms

11. Microhabitats Each microhabitat supports a variety of species
What about the microhabitat of our schoolyard?
Our schoolyard is a
microhabitat within
a temperate deciduous
forest biome
What species live
outside our school?

12. Schindewolf Schoolyard Species
Birds – can you name specific species?
Insects – what kinds?
Squirrels
Decomposers – what kinds?
What else can you think of?

13. Other Microhabitats
What about the pond next door?

14. Examples of Microhabitats in our schoolyard.

15. Variety
Do the species living in the microhabitat of the pond also live in our schoolyard?

16. Variety
Just as each biome supports different species due to its environment, each microhabitat within a biome can support different species
Would a mouse living
in a barn want to
live in a pond?
Why?