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Ecological Niche: Definition, Types, Importance & Examples

Ecology is the study of the interactions between organisms and their environments, which comprise an ecosystem. The places organisms live in are called habitats.

An ecological niche , in contrast, is the ecological role an organism plays within its habitat.

Ecological Niche Definition

Several branches of ecology have adopted the concept of the ecological niche .

The ecological niche describes how a species interacts within an ecosystem. The niche of a species depends on both biotic and abiotic factors, which affect the ability of a species to survive and endure.

Biotic factors affecting a species' niche include food availability and predators. Abiotic factors affecting ecological niche include temperature, landscape characteristics, soil nutrients, light and other non-living factors.

An example of an ecological niche is that of the dung beetle. The dung beetle, as its name suggests, consumes dung both in larval and adult form. Dung beetles store dung balls in burrows, and females lay eggs within them.

This allows hatched larvae immediate access to food. The dung beetle in turn influences the surrounding environment by aerating soil and rereleasing beneficial nutrients. Therefore, the dung beetle performs a unique role in its environment.

The definition of a niche has changed since it was first introduced. A field biologist named Joseph Grinnell took the basic concept of the niche and further developed it, claiming that a niche distinguished between different species that occupied the same space. In other words, only one species could have a particular niche. He was influenced by species distribution.

Types of Ecological Niches

Ecologist Charles Elton’s definition of niche focused on the role of a species, such as its trophic role. His tenets emphasized more on community similarity and less on competition .

In 1957, Zoologist G. Evelyn Hutchinson provided a sort of compromise of these trains of thought. Hutchinson described two forms of niche. The fundamental niche focused on the conditions in which a species could exist with no ecological interactions. The realized niche , in contrast, considered the population’s existence in the presence of interactions, or competition.

The adoption of the ecological niche concept has allowed ecologists to understand the roles of species in ecosystems .

Importance of Ecological Niches

Ecologists use the concept of the ecological niche to help understand how communities relate to environmental conditions, fitness, trait evolution and predator-prey interactions in communities. This becomes ever more important as climate change affects community ecology .

Ecological niches allow species to exist in their environment. Under the right conditions, the species will thrive and play a unique role. Without the ecological niches, there would be less biodiversity, and the ecosystem would not be in balance.

Interspecies competition: Ecologists refer to coexistence when describing ecological niches. Two competing species cannot exist in one ecological niche. This is due to limited resources.

Competition affects the fitness of species, and can lead to evolutionary changes. An example of interspecies competition is an animal that forages for pollen or nectar from a specific plant species, competing with other such animals.

In the case of some species of ants, the insects will compete for nests and prey as well as water and food.

Competitive exclusion principle: Ecologists use the competitive exclusion principle to help understand how species coexist. The competitive exclusion principle dictates that two species cannot exist in the same ecological niche. This is due to competition for resources in a habitat.

Early champions of the competitive exclusion principle were Joseph Grinnell, T. I. Storer, Georgy Gause and Garrett Hardin in the early and mid 20th century.

Competition in a niche either leads each species to specialize in a different way, so as not to use the same resources, or leads one of the competing species to become extinct. This is another way of looking at natural selection. There are two theories used to address competitive exclusion.

In R* Theory , multiple species cannot exist with the same resources unless they differentiate their niches. When resource density is at its lowest, those species populations most limited by the resource will be competitively excluded.

In P* Theory , consumers can exist at high density due to having shared enemies.

Competition plays out even at the microbial level. For example, if Paramecium aurelia and Paramecium caudatum are grown together, they will compete for resources. P. aurelia will eventually overtake P. caudatum and cause it to go extinct.

Overlapping Niches/Resource Partitioning

Given the fact that organisms cannot exist in a bubble and must therefore naturally interact with other species, occasionally niches can overlap. To avoid competitive exclusion, similar species can change over time to use different resources.

In other cases, they can exist in the same area but use resources at different times. This scenario is called resource partitioning .

Resource partitioning: Partitioning means separating. Simply put, species can use their resources in ways that reduce depletion. This allows the species to coexist and even evolve.

An example of resource partitioning is that of lizards like anoles, which used different parts of their overlapping habitats in different ways. Some of the anoles might live on the forest floor; others might live high in the canopy or along the trunk and branches. Still other anoles might move away from plant environments and live in deserts or near oceans.

Another example would be dolphins and seals, which eat similar species of fish. However, their home ranges differ, allowing for a partitioning of resources.

Another example would be Darwin’s finches, which specialized their beak shapes over over time in their evolution. In this way, they were able to use their resources in different ways.

Examples of Ecological Niches

Several examples of ecological niches exist in various ecosystems.

For example, in the jack pine forest of Michigan, the Kirtland’s warbler occupies an area ideally suited for the bird. The birds prefer nesting on the ground between the trees, not in them, among small undergrowth.

But the jack pine tree must be only up to eight years old and around 5 feet tall. Once the tree ages or grows taller, the Kirtland’s warbler will not thrive. These highly specialized kinds of niches can be put at great risk due to human development.

Desert plants such as succulents adapted to arid ecological niches by storing water in their leaves and growing long roots. Unlike most plants, succulents open up their stomata only at night so as to reduce water loss from scorching daytime heat.

Thermophiles are organisms that thrive in extreme ecological niches such as thermal vents with high temperatures.

Channel Islands Ecosystem

In Southern California, mere miles away from one of the most populous areas of human settlement in the United States, the chain of islands known as the Channel Islands provides a fascinating ecosystem for studying ecological niches.

Nicknamed the “Galapagos of North America,” this delicate ecosystem plays host to numerous plants and animals. The islands vary in size and shape, and they provide unique habitats for various animals and plants.

Birds: Several birds call the Channel Islands home, and despite their overlap they have each managed to occupy special ecological niches on the islands. For example, the California brown pelican nests on Anacapa Island by the thousands. The island scrub jay is unique to the Channel Islands.

Fish: Over 2,000 fish species live in the waters around these islands. The kelp beds under the ocean provide habitat for both fish and mammals.

The Channel Islands have suffered from the introduction of invasive species by European settlers, as well as from pollutants such as DDT. Bald eagles disappeared, and taking their place, golden eagles made a home. However, bald eagles have been reintroduced to the islands. Peregrine falcons underwent a similar crisis and are making a comeback.

Native mammals: Four native mammals reside in the Channel Islands: the island fox, harvest mouse, island deer mouse and spotted skunk. The fox and the deer mouse in turn have subspecies on separate islands; each island therefore hosts separate niches.

The island spotted skunk prefers habitat of different types depending on the island it lives on. On Santa Rosa Island, the skunk favors canyons, riparian areas and open woodlands. In contrast, on Santa Cruz Island, spotted skunks prefer open grassland mixed with chaparral. They play the role of predator on both islands.

The island spotted skunk and the island fox are competitors for resources on the islands. However, the spotted skunks are more carnivorous, and they are nocturnal. So in this manner, they are able to coexist in overlapping niches . This is another example of resource partitioning.

The island fox nearly went extinct. Recovery efforts have brought the species back.

Reptiles and Amphibians : The highly specialized niches extend to reptiles and amphibians. There is one salamander species, one frog species, two non-venomous snake species and four lizard species. And yet they are not found on every island. For example, only three islands play host to the island night lizard.

Bats also occupy niches on the islands of Santa Cruz and Santa Rosa, working as both pollinators and consumers of insects. Santa Cruz Island is a home for Townsend’s big-eared bats.

Today the islands are recovering. They now comprise Channel Islands National Park and the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary, and ecologists continue to monitor the many creatures that call the islands home.

Niche Construction Theory

Ecologists more recently have focused on niche construction theory , which describes how organisms modify their environments to make them better suited as niches. Examples of this include making burrows, building nests, creating shade, building beaver dams and other methods in which organisms alter their surroundings to suit their needs.

Niche construction arose from biologist John Odling-Smee. Odling-Smee argued that niche construction should be considered a process of evolution, a form of “ecological inheritance” passed on to descendents rather than a genetic inheritance.

There are four core principles behind niche construction theory:

• One involves non-random modification of the environment by a species, helping aid their evolution. 
• Second, the “ecological” inheritance alters evolution due to parents passing on the altering skills to their offspring.
• Third, new characteristics that are adopted become evolutionarily significant. The environments are affected systematically. 
• Fourth, what was considered adaptation is essentially the result of organisms making their environments more complementary via niche construction .

An example would be a seabird’s feces that lead to plant fertilization and a transition from scrubland to grassland. This is not an intentional adaptation, but it has brought implications for evolution. The seabird would therefore have significantly modified the environment.

Other modifications to the environment must affect the selection pressures on an organism. The selective feedback is unrelated to genes.

Examples of Niche Construction

More examples of niche construction include nesting and burrowing animals, yeast that modify themselves to attract more fruit flies and the modification of shells by hermit crabs. Even by moving around, organisms can affect the environment, in turn influencing gene flow in a population.

This is seen on a grand scale with humans, who have so altered the environment to suit their needs that it has led to worldwide consequences. This certainly can be evidenced by the transition from hunter-gatherers to agrarian cultures, which altered the landscape in order to raise food sources. In turn, humans altered animals for domestication.

Ecological niches offer rich potential knowledge for understanding how species interact with environmental variables. Ecologists can use this information to learn more about how to manage species and to conserve them, and how to plan for future development as well.

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About the Author

J. Dianne Dotson is a science writer with a degree in zoology/ecology and evolutionary biology. She spent nine years working in laboratory and clinical research. A lifelong writer, Dianne is also a content manager and science fiction and fantasy novelist. Dianne features science as well as writing topics on her website, jdiannedotson.com.

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5.1: The Ecological Niche

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An important concept in ecology, which will be discussed in several contexts throughout the quarter is the ecological niche. A species’ ecological niche is the abiotic and biotic conditions the species requires in order to grow, reproduce, and survive. Every species, therefore, has a fundamental niche, which are the abiotic conditions the species can physiologically tolerate, as well as a realized niche, which is driven by species interactions. For example, consider a species of fish living in the ocean (Fig 5.1.1).

This species has certain physiological tolerances in temperature, salinity, etc, that determine where the species can exist. Each of the abiotic factors has an optimum range, where the species will be abundant. Outside of this optimum range (both above and below it), are zones of stress, where the species can survive, but experiences physiological stress and will be less common than in the optimum range. Beyond the zones of stress, are zones of intolerance, which represent conditions the species cannot tolerate and in which it will not be found. The tolerance ranges for all relevant abiotic conditions represent the species fundamental niche (Fig 5.1.2). Species interactions such as predation, parasitism, mutualisms, etc may result in this species not being found throughout its entire fundamental niche. For example, if this fish’s prey species do not occur in some areas of the fundamental niche, then this fish species may not occur there even though it could physiologically tolerate these conditions.

The example above illustrates how a species' realized niche might be reduced or contracted compared to the fundamental niche; however, species interactions can also expand the realized niche. For example, the resource acquisition section discussed root mutualisms that many plants form with mycorrhizal fungi and Rhizobium bacteria, which help the plant access soil nutrients. These mutualisms can expand the minimum soil nutrient availability in which the plant can survive, expanding its fundamental niche (Fig 5.1.3). We will consider the impact of species interactions on the niche in more detail in the species interactions sections.

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AP®︎/College Biology

Course: ap®︎/college biology   >   unit 8.

• Interactions between populations
• Interactions in communities

Niches & competition

• Predator-prey cycles
• Tropical rainforest diversity
• Community structure
• Simpson's index of diversity
• Community ecology

Key points:

• In interspecies competition , two species use the same limited resource. Competition has a negative effect on both of the species (-/- interaction).
• A species' niche is basically its ecological role, which is defined by the set of conditions, resources, and interactions it needs (or can make use of).
• The competitive exclusion principle says that two species can't coexist if they occupy exactly the same niche (competing for identical resources).
• Two species whose niches overlap may evolve by natural selection to have more distinct niches, resulting in resource partitioning .

Introduction

The niche concept, niche as an n -dimensional hypervolume, competitive exclusion principle, resource partitioning, attribution:.

• " Community ecology ," by Robert Bear and David Rintoul, CC BY 4.0 . Download the original article for free at http://cnx.org/contents/[email protected] .
• " Community ecology ," by OpenStax College, Concepts of Biology, CC BY 4.0 . Download the original article for free at http://cnx.org/contents/[email protected] .

Works cited:

• G. Tyler Miller and Scott E. Spoolman, "Each Species Plays a Unique Role in Its Ecosystem," in Essentials of Ecology , 5th ed. (Belmont: Cengage Learning, 2009), 91.
• G. Tyler Miller and Scott E. Spoolman, "Most Species Compete with One Another for Certain Resources," in Essentials of Ecology , 5th ed. (Belmont: Cengage Learning, 2009), 102.
• E. E. Williams, "Ecomorphs, Faunas, Island Size, and Diverse End Points in Island Radiations of Anolis," in Lizard Ecology: Studies of a Model Organism , ed. R. B. Huey et al. (Harvard University Press, 1983).

References:

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Ecological niche

Ecological Niche n., plural: ecological niches [ˌiːkəˈlɒd͡ʒɪkl̩ niːʃ] Definition: the ecological position of a species in an ecosystem

Table of Contents

Ecological Niche Definition

An ecological niche refers to the interrelationship of a species with all the biotic and abiotic factors affecting it. This definition of niche though has changed over time. Joseph Grinnell in 1917 coined the term niche , which he used as mostly equivalent to a species habitat . In 1927, Charles Sutherland Elton regarded niche to be equivalent to the position of a species in a trophic web. In 1958, George Evelyn Hutchinson used the term niche to describe the multi-dimensional space of resources available to and used by a species.

Despite the varying definitions of niche, it is now generally considered to pertain to how an organism or a population responds to, as well as alters, competition and the distribution of resources. It particularly describes the relational position of an organism or a population in a particular ecosystem .

A niche may be influenced by biotic and abiotic factors of an ecosystem. However, the niche of a species in a particular ecosystem will help set the features of its environment as these features will be crucial to its survival.

Niche definition

Niche is defined in a general sense as a cavity, hollow, or recess, especially in a wall. However, in biology and ecology, a niche pertains to any of the following:

• The specific area where an organism inhabits
• The role or function of an organism or species in an ecosystem
• The interrelationship of a species with all the biotic and abiotic factors affecting it

The term niche (plural: niches) came from the Old (and modern) French niche , from nichier , meaning “to make a nest”, from Latin nidus nest .

Niche vs. Habitat

In ecology, a habitat is a place where an organism or a biological population normally (or is adapted to) live(s), reside(s), or occur(s). It may be a forest , a river, a mountain, or a dessert. While habitat is a geographical place a niche is the relationship of a species with the components of an ecosystem. The niche of an organism depicts how it lives and is able to survive in its environment. Thus, a habitat may consist of many niches and could support various species at a given time. Niche is all about a single species as a part of the habitat with all its biological activities as influenced by biotic and abiotic factors. The niche of organisms could, therefore, be defined by living factors (e.g. predators , competitors , parasites , commensals , etc.) and non-living factors.

Niche Formation

Both abiotic and biotic factors help shape the niche of an ecosystem. Abiotic factors, such as temperature , climate, and soil type, of an ecosystem will help form the niches while natural selection works to set which niches would be favored and not. Through time, the species eventually develop special features that help them adapt to their environment. If they fit in, they could thrive and survive in surroundings that match their features. Nevertheless, the extent of their population may be controlled by biological constraints, such as predation, competition, and parasitism.

• Competition in a habitat could limit the population of a species as co-habitats could compete for available nutrients, space, light, and other vital resources.
• Predation could also restrain the species’ population depending on the number of predators and the extent of predation.
• In parasitism , the presence of parasites that take the species as their host and the vulnerability to pathogens causing diseases are also factors that can restrain the species population. The niches in an ecosystem form and evolve as these factors change.

Niche Partitioning

Niche partitioning is defined as the process through which natural selection will drive competing species into separate niches as the niche is species-specific . No two species can occupy the same niche. Coexistence , though, could help the competing species to form their own ecological niches. They must be able to find ways to coexist, e.g. by resource differentiation (or niche partitioning), so as to avoid competition for limited resources. Otherwise, one of the two competing species will be favored by natural selection whereas the other will eventually become extinct.

Types of Niches

• A fundamental niche is defined as the niche of a species in the absence of competition. Conversely, a realized niche is the niche that a species occupies due to pressures, e.g. the arrival of a competing species to its habitat. (1)
• Niche overlap is defined as that when two organisms use the same resources or other environmental variables. Often, niches overlap only partially as the resources are shared. (2)
• A vacant niche is a niche that is yet to be occupied in an environment. However, the existence of a vacant niche is still a matter of debate. Nevertheless, possible causes of vacant niches are presumed to be habitat disturbances (e.g. forest fires and droughts) and evolutionary eventualities (i.e. when species failed to evolve).

Examples of Ecological Niches

Examples of ecological niches are as follows:

• the niche of beavers
• the niche of flightless dung beetle

1. Niche of beavers

Beavers (genus Castor ) are nocturnal, semi-aquatic rodents. They are known for constructing dams, canals, and lodges. Because of this activity, the water flow in the river where they live could alter, affecting both biotic and abiotic features of their environment. Other species that live near the watershed could be affected by the niche of the beaver in shaping the ecological features of their environment.

2. The niche of flightless dung beetle

The flightless dung beetle ( Circellium bacchus ) occupies a unique ecological niche. They feed on animal droppings and store them as dung balls in burrows. Eggs are laid inside the dung ball so that when they hatch the larvae could have available food resources already. This eating behavior of the dung beetle helps aerate the soil and re-introduce nutrients back to the soil.

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Further Reading

• Fundamental niche
• Realized niche
• Vacant niche
• Competition
• Ricklefs, R. & Relyea, R. (2014). Ecology The Economy of Nature. W.H Freeman and Company. p. 249.
• 13 The Ecological Niche. (2015). Retrieved from Utexas.edu website: http://www.zo.utexas.edu/courses/bio373/chapters/Chapter13/Chapter13.html
• Ecological Niche. (2019). Retrieved from Utexas.edu website: https://web.ma.utexas.edu/users/davis/375/popecol/lec11/niche.html
• Ecological Niches. Retrieved from https://www.montana.edu/screel/teaching/bioe-370/documents/Biol 303 niches.pdf
• Ecological Niches. (2019). Retrieved from https://apesreview.weebly.com/ecological-niches.html

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Ecological Niche

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Bibliography

Elton, C. S., 1966. The Pattern of Animal and Plants . London: Methuen.

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Whittaker, R. H., and Levin, S. A., 1975. Niche: Theory and Application . Stroudsburg, PA: Dowden, Hutchinson and Ross. 448 pp.

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Moreno-Sánchez, X., Abitia-Cárdenas, A., Rodríguez-Baron, J.M., Uc, M.L., Riosmena-Rodríguez, R. (2016). Ecological Niche. In: Kennish, M.J. (eds) Encyclopedia of Estuaries. Encyclopedia of Earth Sciences Series. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-8801-4_268

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The world is filled with a wide variety of organisms that each play their important roles in balancing the ecosystem and the world as a whole.

Organisms, such as bacteria , are responsible for both good and bad functions in the ecosystem. Like bacteria, other life forms have both positive and negative effects on the ecosystem and other organisms; however every organism plays a role in maintaining a healthy planet.

The term ecological niche refers to the role an organism plays in their ecosystem. So, if you are interested in learning more about ecological niche , read on!

• First, we will look at the definition of an ecological niche.
• Then, we will explore the different types of ecological niche.
• After, we will look at some examples of ecological niche.
• Then, we will talk about the importance of ecological niches .
• Lastly, we will go over the ecological niche of insects.

Ecological Niche Definition

Let's start by looking at the definition of an ecological niche . In the field of ecology , a niche describes an organism's role within its community.

An organism's ecological niche consists of its interactions with its community and the environmental conditions needed for it to stay alive.

An organism's role in its community can be as a predator, a prey, or even a scavenger. Each organism has a role in its environment, and therefore each organism has an ecological niche.

Niches are determined by both the biotic and abiotic factors of environment. The term ecological niche is mostly used when dealing with living animals since it involves the interactions of the organisms within their ecosystem.

Biotic factors are factors that influence an organism's niche like food ability and predators.

Niches involve the flow of energy between species, which is why it is important to understand the role an organism plays in their ecosystem.

• If a niche is left vacant due to a particular species going extinct or migrating to another ecosystem, another species can take its place.

Some organisms can create unique niches to ensure that their species do not get replaced. This reduces their competition with other species for resources and survival.

Despite being able to create specialized roles for themselves, organisms need to be capable of adapting to the changes in their ecosystem to ensure that they do not go extinct. This is the reason many species usually adapt in order to survive under a wide range of temperatures, climates, and conditions.

Ecological niches come in various types, and contain various combinations of factors and variables that make them unique from other niches.

• Biotic and abiotic factors used by a given species to survive make up the specie's fundamental niche , while factors that limit the species population from thriving are known as limiting factors .

Examples of limiting factors are competition for resources needed for survival and predators. Organisms must withstand the limiting factors within their ecosystem to survive and maintain their niches.

Types of ecological niche

There are three types of ecological niche that you need to be familiar with. These are:

• Spatial or habitat niche
• Trophic niche
• Multidimensional niche

Spatial Niches

• Spatial niches refer to the physical area within the habitat that the species lives in.

Different species can exist within the same ecosystem due to spatial niche partitioning. This phenomenon allows different species to occupy their own section within their ecosystem. Figure 1 depicts the concept of spatial niche partitioning.

In additional to spatial partitioning, animals can also form barriers via dietary partitioning . Dietary partitioning can separate different species based on the food that they eat. For instance, an animal's height can allow it to secure its food.

An example of this can be seen when looking at the giraffe. Since giraffes have extremely long necks, they can eat leaves at the top of a large tree while shorter animals like zebras and deer can eat leaves on the lower end of the tree.

Trophic Niches

Trophic niches refer to the trophic level that the species occupies in the food chain. Animals on the lower end of the food chain are separated from animals on the higher end of the food chain.

According to the food web, organisms can be:

• Primary consumers
• Secondary consumers
• Tertiary consumers
• Quaternary consumers
• Decomposers.

Quaternary consumers are animals at the top of the food chain and usually eat tertiary and even secondary consumers. Producers are organisms that generate energy from the sun via photosynthesis .

These organisms do not need to consume other organisms to survive because they create their own energy through a process called photosynthesis ! Similarly, decomposers eat dead organisms of all trophic levels.

Photosynthesis is the process by which plants and other organisms convert sunlight into energy so that their cells can use to survive. The series of complex processes required for photosynthesis occurs in the chloroplast.

Figure 2 shows a depiction of the food web.

Multidimensional Niches

The third type of ecological niche is called multidimensional niche.

Multidimensional niches consist of the concept of a fundamental niche and the limiting factors that exist.

• A fundamental niche refers to what an organism's niche would be in the absence of limiting factors like competition.

Species who have similar lifestyles such as rabbits and groundhogs often compete for resources and spatial niches that allow them to maintain their lifestyle.

When two or more different species compete for the same niche, they are said to be engaged in interspecific competition. An organism's fundamental niche in combination with the limiting factors associated with the niche is known as the realized or multidimensional niche.

Ecological Niche Example

Now, let's take a look at some examples of ecological niches below.

There is a wide range of ecological niches found all throughout the world. Ecological niches come in a vast variety of characteristics that make it harder or easier for an organism to survive.

An example of an ecological niche can be seen in desert plants . The desert is known to be a dry and unfruitful ecosystem and only the toughest organisms can survive there.

Desert plants such as cacti have adapted to their harsh spatial niche by storing water in their bodies and growing long roots to maximize the amount of water they can take in. The ecological niche of desert plants has little interspecific competition since not many organisms can survive in the desert.

What is the Importance of Ecological Niches?

Let's now focus our attention on the importance of ecological niches.

Ecologists use ecological niches to help understand how communities and ecosystems relate to environmental conditions, trait evolutions, and predator prey interactions within certain communities.

As climate change becomes a more pressing issue, the study of ecological niches has become more important. Ecological niches allow different species to coexist within a given environment. Without ecological niches, there would be less biodiversity and the ecosystem would not be as balanced!

Biodiversity refers to the variety of life in the world and the interactions and communities where organisms interact.

As previously mentioned, an ecological niche is unique to each species. Competition among species affects the fitness of a species and can lead to evolutionary changes .

Ecologists use the c ompetition exclusion principle to understand how species coexist in the same environment.

The competition exclusion principle indicates that two species cannot exist in the same ecological niche. This is due to a limited amount of resources.

Competition among species for an ecological niche leads to evolutionary changes of the losing organisms in order for that species to have a new ecological niche.

• If the losing species does not adapt, they can risk becoming extinct due to the lack of resources needed for its survival.

Another theory related to ecological niches is the R* theory. The R * Theory indicates that multiple species cannot exist with the same resources unless they grow to have different niches. When there is a low level of resources such as during a drought, the losing species will be competitively excluded unless they adapt to their environmental changes.

Similarly, the P * Theory states that consumers such as deer, rabbits, and zebras can coexist when the level of resources are high due to having shared predators. When multiple species have the same predator, it is easier for them to coexist in the same ecological niche.

Ecological Niche of Insects

Like animals, insects also have ecological niches. For example, flies function to eat decaying flesh which can alert other animals that food is nearby.

Another ecological niche example can be seen when looking at bees. Bees gather pollen and nectar from flowers in order to make their food, known as honey. When bees leave their hive, they travel to various flowers to gather pollen.

As bees move from flower to flower, they introduce pollen from the previous flower to the new flower, which helps to create new flowers through the process of pollination . Since bees use pollen to make their food, they must compete with other animals for pollen.

The major competitor species for bees are hummingbirds. Hummingbirds and bees both love nectar. Since hummingbirds only feed individually and bees feed in large groups, bees often out compete hummingbirds for flowers.

There are many ecological niches in the earth's ecosystem and each species' niche contributes to a balanced and healthy earth.

Ecological Niche - Key takeaways

• Niches can be of three types: spatial or habitat, trophic, and multidimensional .

Niches are determined by both the biotic and abiotic factors of environment.

• Trophic niches refer to the trophic level that the species occupied in the food chain.
• The R * Theory indicates that multiple species cannot exist with the same resources unless they grow to have different niches.
• Dianne Dotson, (2019). Ecological Niche: Definition, Types, Importance & Examples

Frequently Asked Questions about Ecological Niche

--> what is an ecological niche.

An organisms ecological niche is comprised of its interactions with its community and the environmental conditions needed for it to stay alive

--> What is the difference between ecological niche and habitat?

An ecological niche refers to an organisms role in their community while a habitat refers to the set of environmental conditions where a given organism can thrive. 

--> What is an ecological niche example?

An example of an ecological niche is bees' role in pollination. 

--> What is the ecological niche of humans?

Humans have different ecological niches. An example of one can be innovation. 

--> What is the ecological niche of plants?

Plants function ad produces which means they produce energy needed for the ecosystem to thrive. Plants also function to create a breathable atmosphere for all other species by releasing oxygen. 

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In the field of ecology, ______ describes an organisms role within its community.

An organisms _________ is comprised of its interactions with its community and the environmental conditions needed for it to stay alive.

An organism's role in its community can be as a predator, a prey, or even a scavenger.

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An organism's role in its community can be as a predator, a prey, or even a scavenger.

Niches can be of three types:   spatial or habitat, trophic, and multidimensional

Factors that influence an organisms niche like food ability and predators.

Biotic Factors 

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Ecological Niche - Definition and Types

Table of content:, ecological niche – definition, habitat vs niche, types of ecological niche, segregation of ecological niche, frequently asked questions.

“ Niche describes the role of an organism in its particular ecosystem ”

The term ‘niche’ was first used by Joseph Grinnel in 1917. He stated niche as an ultimate distributional unit, within which each organism is held by its instinctive and structural limitations. He also stated that no two species can inhabit the same niche for a long time.

Elton, in 1927 referred to niche as a place of an animal in a biotic environment pertaining to its relation with food and predators.

Hutchinson, in 1957 defined the niche of a species as an n-dimensional hypervolume or hyperspace of environmental variables.

In other words, it can be loosely defined as the requirement of a species for existence in a given environment and its impacts on that environment.

Habitat is a single phrase that signifies an area in which an organism grows and lives along with its abiotic factors. Examples include marine habitats, forest habitats, coastal habitats, etc.

Microhabitat – Every habitat comprises several microhabitats that subtly differ with respect to temperature, light, humidity and other factors. For example, lichens that thrive on the northern side of the boulderstone differ from those that grow near the ground and on the southern side. The environmental variables pertaining to the microhabitat are known as the microenvironment.

Ecological Niche – The ecological niche is an inclusive term that involves not only the physical space occupied by an organism but also its functional role in the community. It describes an organism’s response to the distribution of food and competitors.

Also Check: Difference between Habitat and Niche

The three vital aspects of an ecological niche are – physical level, function role and its position in the environmental gradient. Based on this, ecological niche can be classified into three types –

Habitat or Spatial Niche

Trophic niche.

• Hypervolume Niche

This pertains to the physical space inhabited by an organism. For example, consider an invertebrate community (millipedes) underneath a fallen log in a forest. In the dynamic view of the entire forest, some logs can be very old while some are new; some are untouched while some are recently disturbed. This variability also determines the distribution of the millipede species in that particular habitat. Here, the habitat under consideration is the forest floor of maple-oak vegetation. One species of millipede is predominant at the centre of logs, while another is at the superficial wood of logs. Likewise, different species of millipedes are found under the log, beneath the bark, beneath the litter, etc.

In the case of trophic niche, two species occupy the same habitat but have different functional roles or trophic positions. This is because of their variations in food habits. Example – Aquatic birds Corixa and Notonecta live in the same pond but inhabit different trophic niches. Notonecta is an active predator that swims its way through to feed on other animals. Whereas Corixa feeds mostly on decaying vegetation. Another classic example would be Darwin’s finches or Galapagos finches that showed adaptive radiation . The beak shape and size of these passerine birds are adapted as per their food sources.

Multifactor or Hypervolume Niche

This concept is based on the various environmental factors to which organisms of a population are uniquely adapted. Hutchinson (1957) emphasised his view of the n-dimensional hypervolume as a metaphor for the niche. Here, n is the number of environmental factors (temperature, humidity, etc.) for a given organism in a particular space or hypervolume. Since there are a large number of environmental factors, it is represented as n-dimensional hypervolume.

Segregation of niches is vital for the survival of an organism. This will reduce competition and will save a lot of time and energy. In general, niche favours species that are more adapted to the microenvironment than the other organisms. Thus, other species can inhabit elsewhere where there is no or less competition. Segregation also avoids conflict and confusion in activities between the organisms and paves the way for an orderly and efficient life cycle.

Explore: Genetic Diversity

What is the difference between ecological niche and habitat?

Habitat and niche are slightly entangled concepts. Habitat describes a subset of a specie’s niche, referring to the physical and some biotic features of the environment, but not explicitly the interaction among the other species. Whereas niche describes the organism’s functional role along with its ecosystem. In simple words, if habitat is the ‘address’, then niche is more like the ‘profession’ of an organism.

Define ecology.

The term ecology is derived from two Greek words, oikos (house) and logos (discussion). Ecology literally discusses the organisms in their native environment. Generally, it is defined as the relationship of all organisms with respect to their organic and inorganic environments. An ecosystem is the functional and structural unit of ecology.

What is a biotic community?

All living organisms of an ecosystem form a single component called the biotic community or ecological community. The organisms of a biotic community share habitat and have a direct or indirect influence on the survival of each other. Also, it is a larger unit than the population. Species diversity , ecological dominance and trophic structures are some characteristic features of a biotic community.

What is a guild?

An ecological guild is a collection of species that make use of the same ecological resource. It also refers to a group of species that exploit different resources in a similar way. Thus they need not occupy the same ecological niche. Examples – planktons, grazers, saprophytes, etc.

Also Read: Ecology and Environment

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Home » ENVIRONMENT » BASIC CONCEPTS OF ECOSYSTEM » Ecotone, Ecological Niche » Ecological Niche

Ecological Niche

• It describes how an organism or population responds to the distribution of resources and competitors (for example, by growing when resources are abundant, and when predators, parasites and pathogens are scarce) and how it in turn alters those same factors (for example, limiting access to resources by other organisms, acting as a food source for predators and a consumer of prey)
• A Niche is unique for a species, which means no two species have exact identical Niches
• If we should have to conserve species in its native habitat, we should have knowledge about the niche requirements of the species and should ensure that all requirements of its niche are fulfilled
• In ecology, a habitat is a place where an organism or a biological population normally (or is adapted to) live(s), reside(s), or occur(s). It may be a forest, a river, a mountain, or a dessert.
• While habitat is a geographical place, a niche is the relationship of a species with the components of an ecosystem
• Thus, a habitat may consist of many niches and could support various species at a given time.

Niche Formation

• Abiotic factors, such as temperature, climate, and soil type, of an ecosystem will help form the niches, while natural selection works to set which niches would be favoured and not.
• Through time, the species eventually develop special features that help them adapt to their environment

• These have developed several adaptations to living in dry ecological niches
• The adaptations have evolved to help save water stored in the plant and to prevent water loss
• Other adaptations that xerophytic plants use include the ability to move or fold up their leaves, dropping their leaves during dry periods, a waxy coating to prevent evaporation (called the cuticle) and thick hairy leaf coverings
• Plants usually open their stomata during the day and close them at night. Succulents do the opposite in order to reduce water loss during the heat of the day.

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An ecological niche

Experts in this subject field are ready to write an original essay following your instructions to the dot!

An ecological niche can be defined as an organism's functional role at the point of their behavior. Furthermore, we take into account the physiological responses and environment that microorganisms have for adaptation (Callaghan, Björn, Chernov, Chapin, Christensen, Huntley, & Matveyeva, 2004). As a result, in general, we can refer to an ecological niche as the entire set of living variables required for organism existence in a specific ecological habitat. A personal niche is a specific space that a species naturally occupies. Aside from that, there are essential differences and similarities that apply to both a niche and a habitat. A description of your niche & habitat and assigned niche & habitat

The United States of America is my niche. The niche of the U.S can be described as one which is dominated by human beings. The humans in the niche utilize the use of abiotic and biotic resources to enhance their reproduction and survival. Nonetheless, my real niche is in Hutchinsonian. The niche is located on the environmental adaptation on the lands with the proper usage of present resources which are necessary for existence and sustainability. My niche details the following adaptive zone like a chance to get food, water, and other extra resources which are needed for living and have less competition. On the other hand, the arctic possesses the foxes, scarce food, polar bears, snowy owls, lemmings, and geese. The species here survive under conditions of freezing and icing weather and climate (Callaghan, Björn, Chernov, Chapin, Christensen, Huntley & Matveyeva, 2004). Furthermore, the arctic niche suffers the climatic changes which are followed by sustained interactions of both land surface-atmosphere and oceanic.

Characteristics to consider

In the Arctic region, is a niche which is described with the presence of robust evergreen vegetation at high altitudes to enhance the survival of the species present. The plant species present in the arctic niche are characterized by the following survival features longer generation lifespan, clonal production, cone shape plants, needle-like leaves and shallow roots for absorption. Such features enable the plant species to survive in this niche (Callaghan, Björn, Chernov, Chapin, Christensen, Huntley & Matveyeva, 2004). In the U.S niche, the plant species possess the following adaptive feature; broad leaves, thin retina, and wide stomata to allow evaporation and loss of water. They are also deep-rooted to allow for their support.

How are humans adapted to the two habitats and niches?

The animals, the herbivores, and the humans staying synergistically in a moderate climate in the personal niche assimilated with the biotic environment. The existence of adequate food and mutual relationship that exists between the humans and the other species facilitates to their interdependence. This interdependence among them allows for maximum growth and survival across the subcontinent. The surprising fact of how humans survive in the Arctic is attributed to the use of the modern tools and equipment (Boyd, Richerson & Henrich, 2011). They use them to exploit food resources, and this enables them to survive in the harsh climatic state.

Difficulties that you might have living in the assigned

The most prominent difficulties that one can encounter when living in the Arctic is the harsh climatic conditions, limited food resources, and the unpredictable environmental conditions(Boyd, Richerson & Henrich, 2011). Among the variable ecological conditions include changing oceanic salinity, melting glaciers and falling rivers` ice. The changes have an impact on the ecosystem, and this makes the humans` survival hard and difficult.

Type of cultural adaptations evolving from living in your niche

The cultural adaption that is found in the personal and the arctic niche include having features that include imitativeness, sociability, and inventiveness. Such characteristics enhance those species to adapt thus surviving in the terrestrial niche and habitats (Boyd, Richerson & Henrich, 2011). In addition, the cultural adaptations that have erupted due to living in the arctic regions are many. For instance, social complexities that lead to stabilization of subsistence systems in the area, technological evolution, and women empowerment and population growth. Therefore, the ability to survive in different niche depend on the social, climatic and physiological adaptions of the humans.

Boyd, R., Richerson, P. J., & Henrich, J. (2011). The cultural niche: Why social learning is essential for human adaptation. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 108(Supplement 2), 10918-10925.

Callaghan, T. V., Björn, L. O., Chernov, Y., Chapin, T., Christensen, T. R., Huntley, B., ... & Matveyeva, N. (2004). Biodiversity, distributions and adaptations of Arctic species in the context of environmental change. AMBIO: A Journal of the Human Environment, 33(7), 404-417.

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• Published: 13 November 2017

100 articles every ecologist should read

• Franck Courchamp   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0001-7605-4548 1 &
• Corey J. A. Bradshaw   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-5328-7741 1 , 2  

Nature Ecology & Evolution volume  2 ,  pages 395–401 ( 2018 ) Cite this article

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Reading scientific articles is a valuable and major part of the activity of scientists. Yet, with the upsurge of currently available articles and the increasing specialization of scientists, it becomes difficult to identify, let alone read, important papers covering topics not directly related to one’s own specific field of research, or that are older than a few years. Our objective was to propose a list of seminal papers deemed to be of major importance in ecology, thus providing a general ‘must-read’ list for any new ecologist, regardless of particular topic or expertise. We generated a list of 544 papers proposed by 147 ecology experts (journal editorial members) and subsequently ranked via random-sample voting by 368 of 665 contacted ecology experts, covering 6 article types, 6 approaches and 17 fields. Most of the recommended papers were not published in the highest-ranking journals, nor did they have the highest number of mean annual citations. The articles proposed through the collective recommendation of several hundred experienced researchers probably do not represent an ‘ultimate’, invariant list, but they certainly contain many high-quality articles that are undoubtedly worth reading—regardless of the specific field of interest in ecology—to foster the understanding, knowledge and inspiration of early-career scientists.

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Acknowledgements

We are grateful to the many participating editorial members, as well as to C. Albert and G. M. Luque for help with the survey and article management. We are also grateful to the members of B. Holt’s 2017 postgraduate seminar class ‘Advanced Community Ecology’ for their input to the paper. F.C. was supported by BNP Paribas and Agence Nationale de la Recherche (Invacost) grants, and C.J.A.B. was supported by BNP Paribas and Australian Research Council grants.

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F.C. conceived and designed the study and collected the data. C.J.A.B. performed the analyses. F.C. wrote the original draft of the paper. F.C. and C.J.A.B. reviewed and edited the paper.

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List of 75 additional articles of the “read” list, Supplementary Figures 1–4, Supplementary Table 1–2 Summary, Supplementary Note.

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Ranking of all the papers according to the category of ‘type’ (case study, review, concept, opinion, methodology, career).

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Ranking of all the papers with the various variables, including the final rank, the average score, the number of votes (nVot), number of times proposed (nProp), the Impact Factor of the Journal (Ifjrnl), the number of citations in Web of Knowledge (citWoK) and Google Citation (citGoog) and the yearly number of citations in Web of Knowledge (citWoKyr) and Google Citation (citGoogyr).

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Courchamp, F., Bradshaw, C.J.A. 100 articles every ecologist should read. Nat Ecol Evol 2 , 395–401 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41559-017-0370-9

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Ecological Niche

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Ecological niche From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Jump to: navigation, search Black smokers create ecological niches with their unusual environment In ecology, a niche (CanE, UK /? ni?? / or US /? n? t? /)[1] is a term describing the way of life of a species. Each species is thought to have a separate, unique niche.

The ecological niche describes how an organism or population responds to the distribution of resources and competitors (e. g. , by growing when resources are abundant, and when predators, parasites and pathogens are scarce) and how it in turn alters those same factors (e. . , limiting access to resources by other organisms, acting as a food source for predators and a consumer of prey).

[2] The majority of species exist in a standard ecological niche. A premier example of a non-standard niche filling species is the flightless, ground-dwelling kiwi bird of New Zealand, which exists on worms, and other ground creatures, and lives its life in a mammal niche. Island biogeography can help explain island species and associated unfilled niches.Contents[hide] * 1 Grinnellian niche * 2 Eltonian niche * 3 Hutchinsonian niche * 4 Parameters * 5 See also * 6 References * 7 External links| [edit] Grinnellian niche The word "niche" is derived from the Middle French word nicher, meaning to nest.

The term was coined by the naturalist Joseph Grinnell in 1917, in his paper "The niche relationships of the California Thrasher. "[3] The Grinnellian niche concept embodies the idea that the niche of a species is determined by the habitat in which it lives. In other words, the niche is the sum of the habitat requirements that allow a species to persist and produce offspring.For example, the behavior of the California Thrasher is consistent with the chaparral habitat it lives in—it breeds and feeds in the underbrush and escapes from its predators by shuffling from underbrush to underbrush.

This perspective of niche allows for the existence of ecological equivalents and also empty niches. For example, the Anolis lizards of the Greater Antilles are a rare example of convergent evolution, adaptive radiation, and the existence of ecological equivalents: the Anolis lizards evolved in similar microhabitats ndependently of each other and resulted in the same ecomorphs across all four islands. [edit] Eltonian niche In 1927 Charles Sutherland Elton, a British ecologist, gave the first working definition of the niche concept. He is credited with saying: "[W]hen an ecologist says 'there goes a badger,' he should include in his thoughts some definite idea of the animal's place in the community to which it belongs, just as if he had said, 'there goes the vicar.

'"[4] The Eltonian niche encompasses the idea that the niche is the role a species plays in a community, rather than a habitat. edit] Hutchinsonian niche Squirrels in public parks may have a different ecological niche than those with less human contact. The Hutchinsonian niche views niche as an n-dimensional hypervolume, where the dimensions are environmental conditions and the resources that define the requirements of an individual or a species to practise "its" way of life. The niche concept was popularized by the zoologist G. Evelyn Hutchinson in 1957.

[5] Hutchinson wanted to know why there are so many different types of organisms in any one habitat.An organism free of interference from other species could use the full range of conditions (biotic and abiotic) and resources in which it could survive and reproduce which is called its fundamental niche. However, as a result of pressure from, and interactions with, other organisms (i. e. inter-specific competition) species are usually forced to occupy a niche that is narrower than this, and to which they are mostly highly adapted.

This is termed the realized niche. The ecological niche has also been termed by G. Evelyn Hutchinson a "hypervolume. " This term defines the multi-dimensional space of resources (e. .

, light, nutrients, structure, etc. ) available to (and specifically used by) organisms. The term adaptive zone was coined by the paleontologist, George Gaylord Simpson, and refers to a set of ecological niches that may be occupied by a group of species that exploit the same resources in a similar manner. (Simpson, 1944; After Root, 1967. )[citation needed] Hutchinson's "niche" (a description of the ecological space occupied by a species) is subtly different from the "niche" as defined by Grinnell (an ecological role, that may or may not be actually filled by a species—see vacant niches).Different species cannot occupy the same niche[citation needed].

A niche is a very specific segment of ecospace occupied by a single species. Species can however share a 'mode of life' or 'autecological strategy' which are broader definitions of ecospace. [6] For example, Australian grasslands species, though different from those of the Great Plains grasslands, exhibit similar modes of life. [7] Once a niche is left vacant, other organisms can fill that position.

For example, the niche that was left vacant by the extinction of the tarpan has been filled by other animals (in particular a small horse breed, the konik). Also, when plants and animals are introduced into a new environment, they have the potential to occupy or invade the niche or niches of native organisms, often outcompeting the indigenous species. Introduction of non-indigenous species to non-native habitats by humans often results in biological pollution by the exotic or invasive species.The mathematical representation of a species' fundamental niche in ecological space, and its subsequent projection back into geographic space, is the domain of niche modelling. [8] What is the ecological niche of a Slater? In:Insects [Edit categories] Answer: the slater's lives in dark places.

uptake water by eatting food Rate This Answer Upper Hutt College Year 13 Biology Slater Study Achievement standard: biology 3. 1 Introduction to experiment: In this investigation of the ecological niche of the woodlouse, I chose to experiment the amount of soil moisture that the slaters tend to prefer.I chose this aspect, as moisture is a vital part in the survival of this small creature. Internet sources provided information of the woodlice that shows that they are from crustacean descent and formerly aquatic even though now they are terrestrial rather than water dwelling. Slaters are generally found in moist, dark places with decomposing plant matter.

Enter Slater Diagram From two diagrams it is shown the area of the slaters lungs are near the rear end of the woodlouse and located inside the pleopod, these are where the gills are hiding.The Slater is a creature that receives its oxygen through moisture in its surroundings, which is why I chose to do an experiment on moisture and in which amount of water is most suited to their survival and not a threat. The Woodlouse also has no waxy layer on its body which means desiccation is easy compared to other bugs, this is another reason why the slater need moisture in its environment. Aim: The aim of this investigation is to experiment using woodlice and test on which amount of soil moisture they prefer. Hypothesis:I believe that the more soil moisture there is, the more slaters will be found in that area. Independent Variable: The independent variable of this experiment will be the amount of water that is to be added to the soil.

This variable will be measured using millilitres and a measuring cup. The range of values for this will be: 0mls, 25mls, 50mls, 75mls and 100mls. To keep this experiment as fair and accurate as possible, the water will be the exact amount by myself getting down to eye level and pouring the water in little amounts to get the precise amount of water needed. Dependent Variable:

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