**Ricardo Quinto Canas**

University of Algarve, Portugal

**1**

Section 1

Introduction

Section 1 Introduction

**3**

**Chapter 1**

the World

**1. Introduction**

can be found [1].

depend on them.

others in nature.

**2. Habitat is like a home!**

**3. Habitats of the world**

*and Ricardo Quinto Canas*

Introductory Chapter: Habitats of

Why a book on the habitats of the world? To answer this question, we must immediately clarify what "habitat" means. This word has a clear derivation from the Latin and is a verb: more precisely, it is the third person singular of the simple present of the verb "habito, -as, -avi, -atum, -are" which means "to live." Therefore, we could literally translate the word "habitat" with "he lives." So the habitat of an organism (or of an entire community) is the place where it lives or the place where it

Nowadays, we use the term "habitat" in many fields of knowledge and can take

In this book, we want to show some type of habitats of the world. The principal aim of this book is to highlight the importance of the habitats and, especially, of their inhabitants: living beings that occupy a specific space (habitat) and play a specific role in daily life in it (ecological niche). Thanks to a diversified pool of scientists belonging to several world institutions and working on several aspects of

The most important aspect that must be understood is that, respecting the habitats, the living beings present in them are respected and that the lives of others

Often, when I want to make someone understands the meaning of "habitat," I take the example of a house with very specific characteristics, where people live. People interact with each other and with the house. All these actions occur, maintaining an equilibrium. If in a house some alterations of the normal conditions occur, this equilibrium will vary. However, when disturbing end, the equilibrium slowly comes back as before. Therefore, we can consider our house a habitat, like

How many habitats are there in the world? Many! They are not easily quantifiable. Each habitat is characterized by an ecological and biological structure and different species of living beings that give it a uniqueness compared to the others.

*Carmelo Maria Musarella, Ana Cano-Ortiz*

on different shades of meaning (architecture, ecology, etc.).

the habitats, this book will allow understanding all of it very easily.
