Natural Habitat

The statement doesn’t come without any basis. In 2020, the Nature Communications journal revealed the impacts of climate change and global food demand. It is said that these factors might cause around 23% of natural habitat loss in 80 years. Therefore, scientists have been trying to conserve nature for many years around the world.

What is a natural habitat?

A natural habitat is the original home of living organisms with very few human activities. It provides resources for the plants and animals to live and thrive purely. Both land and water have their organic environments. Together, they create an intact ecosystem to sustain the Earth for many years to come.

A natural habitat is usually associated with certain plants and animals. Examples of these are polar bears and penguins. They live only in icy regions like the Arctic and Antarctic. This means they will find it difficult to live in hot areas due to the temperature and humidity. Such is the case with camels and snakes.

Those animal types can only survive in dry natural habitats like deserts. They don’t mind surviving in places with a limited water supply. Similarly, you will only find fish, whales, and coral reefs in saltwater oceans. Those native species become the first to become extinct if human beings continue building without balancing their actions with nature.

Examples of natural habitat

Although natural habitat mostly deals with plants and animals, it does support human beings over time. People have found endless resources to ensure a quality of life since the dawn of civilisation. Examples of these are water, food, and shelter. Such resources are clean and healthy. No wonder those living in forests or rural areas have lower risks of suffering from diseases.

As technology progresses, natural habitats will provide resources for multiple industries. Agriculture is the clearest example of this. It mostly grows well in places with fertile soil and clean water. From this, human beings enjoy eating rice, cassava, corn, and wheat as the main staple foods. Meanwhile, the list below gives more examples of the organic areas.

1. Forest

A forest is a natural habitat that takes on multiple forms based on the temperature. Tropical, temperate, and snow forests are the top examples. Tropical one is identical to lush greenery in multi-layered canopies. It mostly exists in places near the equator, like Indonesia. On the contrary, snow is present in cold areas, like Norway and Sweden.

2. Grassland

Grassland is a natural habitat that is renowned for its vast grasses with few trees or shrubs. It mostly exists in places with moderate rainfall, like South Africa, southern Canada, and the central US. Its unique trait makes it an ideal site for plant and animal life. Many insect types and birds depend on it to survive.

3. Mountain

An area is called a mountain if it rises at least 300 metres above its surrounding area. It usually has steep slopes and even a peak or summit. It is a home for diverse animals and plants, like monkeys, birds, deer, and leopards. Even today, it remains one of the top natural habitats.

4. Ocean

The ocean makes up around 71% of the Earth. It refers to a vast body of saltwater, which is deeper and larger than a sea. Pacific, Atlantic, Indian, Arctic, and Antarctic are the famous oceans today. Their roles have sustained the longevity of this planet. They are involved in climate regulation and support human activities. The transportation sector can’t exist without oceans.

5. Freshwater

Freshwater is a natural habitat that is unique due to its low salt concentration, which is below 0.5% salinity. Lakes, rivers, streams, and glaciers are examples of freshwater. Its number is very small on Earth, but it is the key to the ecosystem. Algae and water lilies are examples of plants, while fish and reptiles mostly live here.

6. Coral reef

A coral reef is a unique natural habitat. It lies underwater and forms an ecosystem that is vital for marine life. Colonies of coral polyps form a coral reef and then release a hard calcium carbonate skeleton. This later creates a reef structure that is home to algae, sea turtles, crabs, shrimps, and many more.

Roles of environmental engineering in maintaining natural habitat

As mentioned, natural habitats are slowly facing extinction. This portrays an imbalanced view of human demands and resources. Human activities quickly grow across all sectors, but that doesn’t apply to nature’s ability to provide the materials. The activities cover not just business deals but also infrastructure projects. The impacts are getting wearisome.

Deforestation is one instance of these. This act means clearing forests for agriculture and urban development. This results in the deaths of many animals and plants in the forests. Henceforth, the subject is getting critical. Environmental engineering hopes to reduce the risks of technology and human needs on nature. Take a closer look at it below!

• Restoring the natural habitat

This profession creates projects to bring back wetlands, forests, and coastal areas, to cite some examples. Among the efforts is reintroducing native plants, like milkweed and coneflowers. They can help support wildlife, like birds and pollinators, and hence, the ecological balance is restored. Human beings will also feel the impacts as the environment becomes better.

• Pollution control

Environmental engineers craft systems to lower pollution levels and reduce its spread. For example, they make a wastewater system to remove contaminants in the water before reusing it. For solid waste, they make sanitary landfills to minimise any risks to the environment. Another method is promoting recycling to reuse existing materials, thus reducing the amount of waste.