Trey - Science - 5.1 Habitats and Niches

What is a species' niche?

Job or role it plays in an environment

What factors help to define a niche?

biotic and abiotic factors

The extinction of a population due to direct competition with another species for a resource is called _____.

competitive exclusion

What are examples of biotic factors of a niche?

food sources and predators

What is the difference between an organism's fundamental niche and its realized niche?

fundamental niche = the niche that affects the niche of another realized niche = niche the organism actually uses

a predator that promotes a great niche diversity in its habitat

keystone predator

the role of an organism in the ecosystem

niche

How is a niche different from a habitat?

niche = the role an organism has in the environment habitat = the place the organism lives

an organism that actively hunts other organisms

predator

the organism that is hunted

prey

What are examples of abiotic factors of a niche?

temperature, amount of sunlight and water, and time of day

What abiotic factors contribute to niche diversity?

temperatures, moisture, the physical environment

What might happen to an ecosystem if all the carnivores were removed?

there would be a spike in herbivores and all the plants would be eaten because the balance in animal types would be unbalanced

What is the role of predators in determining niche diversity?

they increase niche diversity by decreasing the population size of their prey species

What prevents 2 different species from sharing the same niche?

they will compete for resources and one species will have to move to another area or the population will die out