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B4.1.1—Habitat definition

A habitat is the physical place or environment where an organism, population, species or community lives and obtains conditions for survival.

Syllabus
First assessment 2025
Objective
B4.1.1
Level
SL

Exam analysis

Chance of appearing1%of analysed past papers
Latest appearanceNovember 2025
Most common paperPaper1B
Typical marks1

Common command terms

  • Define

Recent exam appearances

November 2025Paper1B ["SL"] · TZ12(b)[ 1 ]B4.1.1—Habitat definition

Coverage 2025–2025 · Updated 15 Jul 2026

A Habitat Is a Place Plus Its Conditions

A habitat is the physical and biological environment where an organism lives. Describe location together with resources, abiotic conditions and interactions.

Static ecosystem scene showing one broad habitat and two microhabitats within it, such as bark crevices and damp soil beneath leaf litter, with labels for geographic location, physical position, and ecosystem type.

A microhabitat is a smaller local environment with distinct conditions. A niche goes further by describing how a species uses resources and interacts within its habitat.

Summary: Predict Distribution from Environment and Adaptation

measure environment → locate tolerance limits and optimum → predict possible distribution → test abundance in the field → explain how adaptations change performance

microhabitat: local moisture, light and temperature
species range: interacting tolerance, adaptation and dispersal limits
biome: long-term climate filters whole communities; similar pressures can produce convergent forms

Habitat definition

[ 1 ]

Define habitat.

Concept essentials

  • A habitat is the place where an organism, population, species or community lives.
  • Habitat descriptions can include geographic and ecosystem information.
  • Microhabitats are smaller areas with distinct local conditions.
  • Habitat matters because environmental conditions affect survival and distribution.