microhabitat

[ mahy-kroh-hab-i-tat ]

noun

1. an extremely localized, small-scale environment, as a tree stump or a dead animal.

microhabitat

/ ˌmaɪkrəʊˈhæbɪtæt /

noun

1. ecology the smallest part of the environment that supports a distinct flora and fauna, such as a fallen log in a forest

microhabitat

/ mī′krō-hăb′ĭ-tăt′ /

1. See microenvironment

Word History and Origins

Origin of microhabitat¹

First recorded in 1930–35; micro- + habitat

Example Sentences

Rarer species in microhabitats, such as a single valley or a specific island, “typically need much more,” Venter says.

From Science News For Students

By attaching the leaves together, the spiders are creating cool and dark microhabitats that would be desirable in a dry, searing environment with plenty of predatory birds, Fulgence says.

From Science News

The moist soil and litter on the forest floor is an important microhabitat for fossorial and strictly terrestrial species.

From Project Gutenberg

Small box turtles occupy the same microhabitat as do the adults and seem not to be more aquatic or subterranean in habits.

From Project Gutenberg