Habitat is a combination of factors (such as climate, soil, and living things) that provides food, water, cover and space that animals and plants need to grow and reproduce.

Some major habitat types include:

• Coastal and Estuarine
• Rivers and Streams
• Lakes and Ponds
• Wetlands
• Desert
• Grasslands/Prairie
• Forest
• Riparian
• Urban

Destruction, degradation, and fragmentation of habitat is the driving force behind today's alarming decline in species. These impacts to habitat can be caused directly by human activities, such as the clearing of forests to grow crops or build homes, or indirectly by the introduction of invasive species or increased pollution. It is the mission of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to work with others to conserve, protect, and enhance habitats for fish, wildlife, and plants.