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Habitat Overview

[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text css=””]In broad terms, habitat is defined as a space that provides living (biotic) and non-living (abiotic) resources needed by a species to survive. Species are considered generalists when they can use a variety of habitats to get the resources needed to thrive while others are specialists that need specific habitats to meet their needs. Many species are somewhere in between, needing specific features within a habitat for a particular life stage in their annual cycle. Breeding habitat is a good example: without specific breeding habitat features available, animals are less likely to successfully reproduce resulting in declining populations.

New Jersey’s Wildlife Action Plan uses a relatively coarse habitat classification to determine nineteen key habitat types. Most threats impacting at-risk species are directly linked to the habitats in which they live. Rather than a species-specific approach, New Jersey’s 2025 Wildlife Action Plan focuses on identifying the key threats facing these habitats. By taking actions to address threats facing habitats, we can improve the outcome of the species that depend on those habitats—working toward the goal of recovery of species’ populations.

The 2025 SWAP addresses habitat condition at the Region level.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=””]

2025 SWAP Habitat Definitions

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Upland Habitats

[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/4″][info-box-shortcode title=”Forests and Woodlands” buttontitle=”EXPLORE THIS HABITAT >” buttonlink=”https://deptest.nj.gov/swap/habitats/forests-and-woodlands/” bgimg=”3166″]Forests and woodlands contain at least 10% tree canopy cover of coniferous, deciduous, or a mix of both types of trees. This habitat includes young and regenerating forests, savannas, and mature closed-canopy forests.[/info-box-shortcode][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/4″][info-box-shortcode title=”Grasslands” buttontitle=”EXPLORE THIS HABITAT >” buttonlink=”https://deptest.nj.gov/swap/habitats/grasslands/” bgimg=”3175″]Grasslands include both natural grasslands and agricultural lands. Natural grasslands are dominated primarily by grasses and wildflowers while open agricultural fields have grasses and other low-growing vegetation.[/info-box-shortcode][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/4″][info-box-shortcode title=”Shrublands” buttontitle=”EXPLORE THIS HABITAT >” buttonlink=”https://deptest.nj.gov/swap/habitats/shrublands/” bgimg=”3197″]Shrublands are dominated by woody vegetation that are typically <10 feet tall, with few trees >10 feet tall. These habitats often emerge from old fields and are characterized by a mix of shrubs, small trees, and herbaceous plants.[/info-box-shortcode][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/4″][info-box-shortcode title=”Glades” buttontitle=”EXPLORE THIS HABITAT >” buttonlink=”https://deptest.nj.gov/swap/habitats/glades/” bgimg=”3172″]Glades are natural forest thinnings or clearings on peaks, ridgelines, or mountainous slopes with little to no overstory vegetation. The lack of canopy cover allows sunlight to reach the ground, supporting grasses and herbaceous plants.[/info-box-shortcode][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_empty_space height=”30px”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/4″][info-box-shortcode title=”Barrens and Exposed Rock” buttontitle=”EXPLORE THIS HABITAT >” buttonlink=”https://deptest.nj.gov/swap/habitats/barrens-and-exposed-rock/” bgimg=”3157″]Barrens are open areas with little to no vegetation and include exposed rock habitats, sand pits, and open sand areas. These areas have nutrient-poor, acidic soils and provide important habitat for animals and plants.[/info-box-shortcode][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/4″][info-box-shortcode title=”Subterranean” buttontitle=”EXPLORE THIS HABITAT >” buttonlink=”https://deptest.nj.gov/swap/habitats/subterranean/” bgimg=”3200″]Subterranean habitats are found below the surface, including within or beneath the leaf litter, logs, rock feature tunnels, crevices and cavities, natural caves, mines and other artificial sub-surface features.[/info-box-shortcode][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/4″][info-box-shortcode title=”Developed Areas” buttontitle=”EXPLORE THIS HABITAT >” buttonlink=”https://deptest.nj.gov/swap/habitats/developed-areas/” bgimg=”3163″]Developed areas are dominated by residential, commercial, and industrial land uses. Within developed areas, wildlife habitats can be found in large or small pockets such as parks, gardens, and golf courses.[/info-box-shortcode][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_empty_space height=”30px”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=””]

Aquatic Habitats and Transition Zones

[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/4″][info-box-shortcode title=”Rivers and Streams” buttontitle=”EXPLORE THIS HABITAT >” buttonlink=”https://deptest.nj.gov/swap/habitats/rivers-and-streams/” bgimg=”3192″]Rivers are larger bodies of flowing water, while streams are smaller and can be tributaries to rivers. The flow of water varies from fast-moving and turbulent in mountain streams to calm and slow-moving in flatter landscapes.[/info-box-shortcode][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/4″][info-box-shortcode title=”Freshwater Tidal Rivers and Streams” buttontitle=”EXPLORE THIS HABITAT >” buttonlink=”https://deptest.nj.gov/swap/habitats/freshwater-tidal-rivers-and-streams/” bgimg=”3169″]Freshwater tidal rivers and streams have regular tidal fluctuations in water level and flow direction but remain predominantly freshwater due to their distance from the ocean or influx of upstream freshwater.[/info-box-shortcode][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/4″][info-box-shortcode title=”Lakes, Ponds, and Reservoirs” buttontitle=”EXPLORE THIS HABITAT >” buttonlink=”https://deptest.nj.gov/swap/habitats/lakes-ponds-and-reservoirs/” bgimg=”3178″]Lakes, ponds, and reservoirs in New Jersey are perennial freshwater bodies of standing water that vary in size and depth. Lakes are typically larger and deeper than ponds.[/info-box-shortcode][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/4″][info-box-shortcode title=”Shorelines” buttontitle=”EXPLORE THIS HABITAT >” buttonlink=”https://deptest.nj.gov/swap/habitats/shorelines/” bgimg=”3195″]Shorelines are narrow and dynamic habitats, characterized by cycles of submergence and exposure. Shorelines of lakes, ponds, freshwater and tidal rivers and streams and beaches and back-bays fall into this category.[/info-box-shortcode][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_empty_space height=”30px”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/4″][info-box-shortcode title=”Beaches and Dunes” buttontitle=”EXPLORE THIS HABITAT >” buttonlink=”https://deptest.nj.gov/swap/habitats/beaches-and-dunes/” bgimg=”3160″]Beaches and dunes are shaped by constant wave action, wind, and shifting sands, creating a dynamic environment and includes vegetated and non-vegetated coastal sand dunes.[/info-box-shortcode][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_empty_space height=”30px”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=””]

Wetland Habitats and Transition Zones

[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/4″][info-box-shortcode title=”Non-tidal Wetlands” buttontitle=”EXPLORE THIS HABITAT >” buttonlink=”https://deptest.nj.gov/swap/habitats/non-tidal-wetlands/” bgimg=”3186″]Non-tidal wetlands are freshwater wetlands dominated by plants and not influenced by tides or salinity. Found in inland in floodplains, and along lakes, rivers, and streams where water remains at or near the surface most of the year.[/info-box-shortcode][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/4″][info-box-shortcode title=”Tidal Wetlands and Flats” buttontitle=”EXPLORE THIS HABITAT >” buttonlink=”https://deptest.nj.gov/swap/habitats/tidal-wetlands-and-flats/” bgimg=”3203″]Tidal wetlands and flats are coastal habitats influenced by the ebb and flow of tides. They are flooded and drained by tidal cycles making them highly dynamic and ecologically rich.[/info-box-shortcode][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/4″][info-box-shortcode title=”Vernal Pools” buttontitle=”EXPLORE THIS HABITAT >” buttonlink=”https://deptest.nj.gov/swap/habitats/vernal-pools/” bgimg=”3206″]Vernal pools are depressions, either natural or artificial, that hold water from precipitation, runoff, or rising groundwater for two months or longer. They typically fill with water during the colder months and dry up in summer.[/info-box-shortcode][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/4″][info-box-shortcode title=”Riparian and Floodplain Zones” buttontitle=”EXPLORE THIS HABITAT >” buttonlink=”https://deptest.nj.gov/swap/habitats/riparian-and-floodplain-zones/” bgimg=”3189″]Riparian and floodplain zone habitats are vegetated areas directly associated with stream or river sides and are subject to periodic flooding. They are the interfaces between land and a stream, river, or other water bodies.[/info-box-shortcode][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_empty_space height=”30px”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/4″][info-box-shortcode title=”Back Bays, Estuaries, and Tidal Rivers and Streams” buttontitle=”EXPLORE THIS HABITAT >” buttonlink=”https://deptest.nj.gov/swap/habitats/back-bays-estuaries-and-tidal-rivers-and-streams/” bgimg=”3209″]Back bays, estuaries, and tidal rivers and streams are coastal, continuously submerged, brackish water habitats. Brackish water is a mix of salt and fresh water that is more saline than freshwater but less than seawater.[/info-box-shortcode][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_empty_space height=”30px”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=””]

Marine Habitats

[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/4″][info-box-shortcode title=”Marine Nearshore” buttontitle=”EXPLORE THIS HABITAT >” buttonlink=”https://deptest.nj.gov/swap/habitats/marine-nearshore/” bgimg=”3181″]Marine nearshore is where the ocean meets the land. From the mean low waterline, it is the subtidal waters seaward beyond the breaker zone, to the subtidal waters of back-bays, coastal bays, and lagoons.[/info-box-shortcode][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/4″][info-box-shortcode title=”Marine Offshore and Oceanic” buttontitle=”EXPLORE THIS HABITAT >” buttonlink=”https://deptest.nj.gov/swap/habitats/marine-offshore-and-oceanic/” bgimg=”3266″]Marine offshore and oceanic habitat extends seaward from the marine nearshore into the deep waters of the Atlantic Ocean. These waters are influenced by ocean currents, depth, temperature, seasonal and climate changes.[/info-box-shortcode][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row full_width=”stretch_row_content_no_spaces” el_class=”spotlight-species”][vc_column][vc_empty_space height=”30px”][vc_single_image image=”4195″ img_size=”full” css=””][vc_column_text css=””]

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