Habitat

The Habitat ( German with Endbetonung, from Latin: habitat, [ it ] lives ', with initial emphasis ), mostly in the German living space, called the characteristic life site of a particular animal or plant species. The term habitat was used originally only autökologisch, ie based on a kind. Meanwhile, it is also used in synökologischem context as a synonym for habitat, so that the life of a community facility is designated Habitat. This is mainly due to the influence of the English -speaking world. In botany, especially of vegetation ecology, is usually spoken in the same place of habitat importance of location.

In addition, the term is also applied to a living space of human beings.

Word origin

The term habitat goes back to the naturalist Carl Linnaeus, who appeared in his 1753 work Species Plantarum in his Latin -speaking species descriptions the sentence or paragraph to the habitat of the species is always initiated with italics highlighted Habitat in ... ( " Live in ... " emphasis on the first syllable, so eg spanish hábitat ). This practice has been maintained in subsequent species descriptions.

Habitats of animals and plants

Under a habitat is understood in biology, a characteristic residence or location, the settled one way. The habitat can for example describe the preferred habitat of the species in a larger, more heterogeneous structured habitat. Synonymous terms used for this are Biochorion and Choriotop. Very small areas or specifically identified habitats are usually referred to as a microhabitat.

In German-speaking countries, the term habitat is understood autökologisch in the first place. A habitat can provide multiple habitats. Includes the entire habitat of an individual or a population several differently structured areas, as is spoken of complementary habitats. This is the case especially in mobile, migratory species such as fish and migratory birds. Also in other animals is spoken of complementary or part habitats when these various functions, such as feeding, reproduction, or the withdrawal fulfill (eg breeding habitat, foraging habitat, wintering habitat ). Habitat specificity is the degree of dependence on a particular environment as a habitat; so that their dependence is described by certain parts of the body on or in the host organism, eg parasites.

In English-speaking countries the term is used synonymously with the term biotope German, so understood synökologisch. Through out the English translated texts and reference books, the term is now used in this meaning also in German.

Habitats with extreme environmental conditions, which are colonized by extremophiles, also referred to as extreme habitats.

Locations of people

General referred to in anthropology Habitat a dwelling such as a house or tent, or even a settlement of the people as living space, location or agglomeration landscape typical form of housing, or residential area as one used by a certain population group as a living room area. Also a residential station on another celestial body in space is called a habitat. In this sense, the habitats of the people of the settlement geography and macro sociology are examined.