Ecological niche
The role of a species in its environment: where it lives, what it eats, when it is active and how it interacts with others. Two species cannot occupy exactly the same niche for long (competitive exclusion).
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Analogy
A job description plus an address.
In practice
Different warbler species feed in different parts of the same tree, so they can live together.
Practice
Flashcards
- What is competitive exclusion?Two species cannot long occupy the same niche. One outcompetes the other.
Questions people ask
What is the difference between habitat and niche?
A habitat is the place where an organism lives, its address. A niche is its whole role, including what it eats, when it is active, and how it affects the ecosystem, its job. Two species can share a habitat but have different niches.
What is an invasive species?
An invasive species is a non-native species that spreads and harms the ecosystem it has entered. It may have no natural predators there and can outcompete local species. Cane toads in Australia and zebra mussels in North American lakes are well-known examples.