What is Wildlife Habitat?
Wildlife habitat is defined as the environment wildlife need to survive. For any wildlife species to survive, it needs these four things: food, water, cover, and space. When working to create, sustain, or improve wildlife habitat, it is important to remember that it may not be feasible to impact all four of these aspects on a particular property. However, by understanding the specific needs of various wildlife species, you can better understand how habitat work can influence one or more of these wildlife needs.
Food
Wildlife need food to survive, since food is essential to life. It is important to remember that food sources and availability change throughout the year. Because of this, it is important to ensure there are diverse food sources that can sustain wildlife through all the seasons.
Water
Like food, all living things need water. Various species of wildlife obtain their water through various means. Many species require water sources such as wetlands, streams, and ponds to drink from directly. Yet other species meet their water needs through only the food they eat. Because water is so important, it is important to ensure these water sources remain high quality by minimizing impacts. A great way to maintain high quality water sources is to use riparian buffers. These buffers help protect and improve the water quality by reducing erosion, capturing sediment, nutrients, pesticides, and pathogens before it gets into the water source. In addition, these buffers also provide food and cover for wildlife!
Cover
Cover is important to wildlife because it provides them protection. Cover is used to hide from predators and provides cover from the elements. Good cover allows for the successful nesting, denning, and young rearing of many species of wildlife. Cover can protect wildlife from the elements by creating shade, wind barriers, and thermal protection.
Space
Space is important for wildlife to be healthy. While an individual may not need much space, it is important that enough space be present for additional individuals to be present to ensure breeding and a healthy population. The amount of space needed varies greatly among species. Generally larger species require greater amounts of space than smaller species. For example, field mice require significantly less space to provide for a healthy individual and population than a deer would.
When you take all of these aspects into account you can generally obtain what is called an individual's home range. A home range is simply the range that is needed for that individual to meet all four of its needs: food, water, shelter, and space. Home ranges vary greatly by species. A gray squirrel's home range is quite small, because it can find the food, water, cover, and space it needs in a smaller area than a deer or bear may need.