Ecological Niche
An ecological niche describes the functional role and position of a species within its ecosystem, encompassing all the physical, chemical, and biological conditions it requires to survive, reproduce, and maintain a population. Unlike a habitat (where an organism lives), a niche defines what an organism does — what it eats, when it is active, and how it interacts with other species. The competitive exclusion principle states that no two species can occupy exactly the same niche indefinitely in the same habitat.
Fundamental vs Realised Niche
| Aspect | Fundamental Niche | Realised Niche | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Definition | Full potential range of conditions | Actual conditions used | Barnacle species zones |
| Limiting factor | Physical tolerance limits | Competition/predation | Interspecific competition |
| Size | Broader (theoretical max) | Narrower (actual) | Reduced by competitors |
| Measurement | Lab experiments | Field observations | Barnacle intertidal study |
Interactive Tools
Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA
Related Terms
Habitat
A habitat is the natural environment in which a particular species lives, feeds, and reproduces — the physical and biological setting that meets an organism's essential requirements for survival. Habitats are defined by characteristic physical conditions such as temperature, moisture, light, and soil type, as well as the biological community present. Habitat loss is considered the primary driver of global biodiversity decline.
Community (ecology)
An ecological community is an assemblage of populations of different species that live in the same area and interact with one another. Communities are characterised by their species composition, diversity, and the web of interactions such as predation, competition, and mutualism. The study of communities examines how these interactions shape the structure and stability of ecosystems over time.
Population (ecology)
In ecology, a population is a group of individuals of the same species living in the same geographic area at the same time and capable of interbreeding. Population ecology studies how populations change in size and composition over time, driven by birth rates, death rates, immigration, and emigration. Understanding populations is essential for conservation biology, fisheries management, and predicting the spread of invasive species.
From French niche (a recess in a wall), itself from Old French nichier (to nest), ultimately from Latin nidus (nest). The ecological meaning was developed by Joseph Grinnell in 1917 and later expanded by Charles Elton (1927) and G. Evelyn Hutchinson (1957) into the modern multidimensional concept.