Habitat is the natural environment where a species lives and finds the food, water, shelter, and space it needs to survive and reproduce. Habitats range from specific microhabitats (a particular type of forest floor) to broader ecosystems (boreal forest, prairie grassland, wetland). Human activities significantly impact wildlife habitats through development, pollution, resource extraction, and climate change. Habitat loss is the primary threat to biodiversity and endangered species. Environmental protection efforts focus heavily on habitat conservation: protecting natural areas, restoring degraded habitats, creating wildlife corridors connecting fragmented areas, and requiring developers to assess and mitigate habitat impacts. Municipalities address habitat through environmental protection policies, natural heritage system planning, requirements for environmental impact studies, tree protection bylaws, and parkland management. The federal Species at Risk Act protects critical habitat for listed species, potentially affecting municipal and private land use decisions.