Define habitat.

A habitat is defined as the natural environment in which a species lives. This encompasses all the physical and biological conditions necessary for the organism's survival, including food sources, water availability, shelter, and the interactions with other species in the ecosystem. Habitats can vary greatly, ranging from forests and oceans to deserts and wetlands, and each habitat supports specific types of organisms that have adapted to thrive in those conditions.

While other concepts, such as the places where organisms reproduce or the conservation status of endangered species, are important in ecology, they do not capture the full scope of what a habitat entails. Distinguishing habitats from artificially created ecosystems is also critical, as true habitats arise naturally and have evolved over time, whereas artificial ecosystems are human-made and may not support the same ecological relationships found in natural environments.