The natural environment is composed of the physical elements, habitats, and domains that exist in nature. An ELEMENT is a basic part of something, such as a chemical ELEMENT or an ELEMENT of nature. A HABITAT is the natural home of an organism, where it finds food, shelter, and other resources necessary for its survival. A DOMAIN is a large area of land or water with a particular set of characteristics, such as a mountain range or a lake. Together, these three components form the natural environment.