Habitat means those parts of the environment (both natural and human-made) that native flora and fauna require for different stages of their life cycle, such as feeding, roosting, migration, nesting and the rearing of young. Different habitat components may be needed for each of these stages, and can be provided by living parts of the environment (e.g. trees) and non-living parts (e.g. rocks and fallen timber).
Habitat character and quality largely determine the type and number of animals that use the area, and whether they will survive in the long term. The loss of habitat is the major cause of the decline and extinction of native fauna species.
