hab ‧ i ‧ tat /ˈhæbətæt, ˈhæbɪtæt/ BrE AmE noun [uncountable and countable]
[ Date: 1700-1800 ; Language: Latin ; Origin: 'it lives in a place' , from habitare ; ⇨ ↑ habitation ]
the natural home of a plant or animal:
watching monkeys in their natural habitat
The grassland is an important habitat for many wild flowers.
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COLLOCATIONS
■ ADJECTIVES/NOUN + habitat
▪ sth’s natural habitat (=the type of place where an animal or plant usually lives or grows)
She studies gorillas in their natural habitat.
▪ sth’s native habitat (=the particular place where an animal or plant lives or grows)
Even in its native habitat, the plant is very rare.
▪ a wildlife habitat
The land next to the harbour is perhaps the most threatened wildlife habitat in Britain.
▪ a woodland/wetland/grassland/marshland habitat (=a place in a wood, etc where animals and plants live or grow)
The owl inhabits woodland habitats from Scotland to southern Spain.
▪ a coastal habitat (=a place near the coast where animals and plants live or grow)
Dolphins are vulnerable to these poisons because of their coastal habitat.
▪ a marine habitat (=a place in the sea where animals and plants live and grow)
Cuttlefish are found in marine habitats worldwide.
▪ an important habitat
The island is an important habitat for exotic animals.
■ verbs
▪ damage/destroy a habitat
Widening the road will uproot trees and damage wildlife habitat.
▪ provide a habitat (=be suitable and available as a home for particular animals or plants)
Marshes provide the habitat of many species of wading birds.
▪ conserve/protect a habitat (=prevent it from changing or being damaged)
These measures will protect the habitat of endangered species such as wolves.
▪ create a habitat
The aim is to create a suitable breeding habitat for rare birds.
■ phrases
▪ loss of habitat
Elephants are menaced by poaching and loss of habitat.
▪ the destruction of a habitat
It is in south Texas that the destruction of the bird’s habitat has been most alarming.
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THESAURUS
▪ the environment the air, water, and land on Earth, which is affected by man’s activities:
We need to do more to protect the environment.
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How much does air travel damage the environment?
▪ ecosystem technical all the animals and plants that exist in a place, considered as a single system with parts that depend on each other:
the island’s fragile ecosystem
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The rapid decline in the number of great sharks is disrupting the marine ecosystem.
▪ habitat the natural home of an animal or plant:
The tree can grow to be 120 feet tall in its natural habitat.
▪ the biosphere technical the Earth’s surface and atmosphere where animals and plants can live:
Scientists are monitoring changes in the global biosphere.
▪ ecology the scientific study of the way in which the animals, plants, and natural features of a place affect and depend on each other:
She’s studying marine ecology.
▪ green adjective [only before noun] relating to the environment or to protecting the environment:
Voters are becoming more concerned about green issues.
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The party is keen to demonstrate its green credentials (=show that it thinks the environment is important) .
▪ eco- prefix relating to the environment and protecting the environment:
eco-friendly products (=which do not harm the environment)
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eco-tourism (=which does not harm the environment)
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eco-warrior (=someone who protests to try to save the environment)
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eco-sensitive land (=where the environment is easily damaged)