Types of Habitats
What is a habitat?
A habitat is the natural home or environment where a plant or animal lives.
What is an adaptation?
A special feature or behavior that helps a living thing survive in its environment.
What is a food chain?
A model that shows how energy passes from one living thing to another through food.
How can building cities affect the habitats of animals?
It can destroy or change their homes, forcing them to move or causing population loss.
Imagine you are a scientist. How would you study the animals in a wetland habitat without disturbing them?
Use binoculars, cameras, observation from a distance, or hidden shelters to watch quietly.
Name three different types of habitats found in Canada.
Forests, wetlands, tundra, grasslands, and freshwater lakes/rivers (any three).
How do thick fur and fat help animals survive in the Arctic?
They keep the animals warm and insulated in cold temperatures.
What is the role of a producer in a food chain?
Producers make their own food using sunlight (e.g., plants).
What are two ways humans can help protect animal habitats?
Examples: planting trees, creating parks, recycling, protecting wetlands, reducing pollution.
If an animal species disappears from a food chain, what could happen to the other animals?
The balance could be disrupted—some populations may grow too much, others may shrink, or the whole chain may collapse.
How is a desert habitat different from a rainforest habitat?
Deserts are hot and dry with little rainfall, while rainforests are warm, wet, and have dense plant life.
Why do some birds migrate during certain seasons?
To find food, better weather, or safer places to raise their young.
Give an example of a simple food chain with three parts.
Grass → Rabbit → Fox (or similar examples).
How does pollution affect water habitats like lakes and rivers?
It can harm or kill fish and other animals, make the water unsafe, and damage ecosystems.
Why do you think different animals live in different habitats?
Because different animals need different food, temperature, shelter, and water conditions to survive.
Why might a polar bear not survive in a desert habitat?
It has thick fur and needs cold temperatures, ice, and water to survive, which deserts lack.
What kind of beak would a bird need to eat insects from tree bark?
A thin, pointed beak for picking insects out of crevices.
What might happen if the number of rabbits in a forest suddenly drops?
Predators like foxes may have less food and could decrease in number, and plants might grow more because fewer rabbits eat them.
Why is it important to recycle and reduce waste?
It reduces pollution, saves resources, and helps keep habitats clean and healthy.
How might climate change affect the habitats of animals like polar bears or frogs?
Melting ice or changing temperatures can destroy their homes and affect their food sources, making it hard for them to survive.
Give an example of a habitat that is mostly water.
Oceans, lakes, rivers, or wetlands.
How do cactus plants survive in hot, dry places?
They store water in their stems, have thick skins, and spines to reduce water loss.
What is the difference between a producer and a consumer?
Producers make their own food; consumers eat other living things for energy.
What can happen to a community of animals when trees are cut down?
nimals may lose their homes, food sources may disappear, and populations may decrease.
If you could design a perfect habitat for a new animal, what would it look like and why?
Answers will vary (students should explain features like food, shelter, temperature, water sources, etc.).