Habitats

All around us there are many varied habitats: coastal and freshwater regions, mountains, woodlands, farmland, parks, gardens and urban landscapes, providing for different plants and animals. Each habitat is created firstly by the underlying rock which interacts with the climate and affects the formation of the soil; the composition of the soil determines the vegetation which grows and this in turn determines the animal life that colonizes the area. Secondly, man's often profound impact on his surroundings can alter entire habitats, causing both plant and animal life to die out, move out or adapt to the new circumstances. The more diverse habitats there are the more varied and abundant is both the plant and animal life around us.