Habitats, as a scientific topic, encompass the physical and biotic environments that support particular organisms or ecological communities, defined by specific combinations of abiotic factors (e.g., temperature, moisture, light, substrate, chemistry) and biotic interactions (e.g., competition, predation, mutualism). Research on habitats addresses spatial structure, heterogeneity, and connectivity, including concepts such as microhabitats, habitat patches, niches, and landscape mosaics. It underpins studies of species distributions, population dynamics, community assembly, and responses to environmental change, and is central to applied fields such as habitat suitability modeling, conservation planning, restoration ecology, biodiversity assessment, and the design of protected area networks.
The desert tortoise, a once-resilient reptile, is a keystone species in the Mojave Desert, where other animals depend for their survival on the burrows it digs. But it is imperiled in California thanks in part to an unusual ...
Ecology
Feb 26, 2026
0
39
New research shows that, off the U.S. West Coast, humpback whales face a higher risk of getting entangled in fishing equipment during years with lower availability of cool-water habitat, where the whales feed. Jarrod Santora ...
Plants & Animals
Feb 25, 2026
0
16
National parks are public conservation assets, created to protect biodiversity and provide affordable access to nature for all. But, new research published in npjBiodiversity highlights a growing global issue: According to ...
Environment
Feb 12, 2026
1
16
A new study published in the journal Urban Ecosystems has revealed that the common black garden ant (Lasius niger) behaves differently depending on whether it lives in a bustling city or the quiet countryside. The researchers, ...
Plants & Animals
Feb 9, 2026
0
13
A new Curtin University study warns that large parts of Australia, including major cities and farming regions, could be highly vulnerable to a fast-spreading invasive beetle, already causing severe damage across the Perth ...
Plants & Animals
Feb 5, 2026
0
28
When people think about habitats on Earth, they likely picture forests, oceans or grasslands. Few think to look up. Yet the lower atmosphere, or troposphere, may be the largest habitat on the planet. A new study published ...
Ecology
Jan 15, 2026
0
37
Botswana's fertile Okavango Delta is one of the last remaining high-biodiversity ecosystems in the world, home to cheetahs, African wild dogs, baobab trees, crocodiles, termites and owls that catch fish. Roughly the size ...
Ecology
Oct 13, 2025
0
43
Let's say you're in charge of a Mars mission. Okay boss, where do we land? The total surface area of Mars is roughly equal to the land area of Earth. Nobody's ever built a settlement there (heck, nobody's even gone there). ...
Space Exploration
Sep 22, 2025
0
25
From arid deserts and alpine meadows to dense wetlands and temperate forests, Iran's natural landscapes give rise to rich native wildlife. This country is home to over 8,000 species of plants, nearly 500 bird species and ...
Ecology
Aug 18, 2025
0
36
A new study published in the journal Soil Ecology Letters, shows the importance of old termite mounds as habitats for a wide range of insects and other invertebrates in the Bornean tropical rainforest. The research team includes ...
Plants & Animals
Jun 27, 2025
0
59
