Concept of habitat and niche

A habitat is the physical environment where an organism lives, while a niche is the functional role of an organism in its ecosystem.
The habitat is defined by abiotic factors like soil, water, temperature, and light.
A niche includes the organism's interactions with other species, such as competition, predation, and symbiosis.
The fundamental niche is the potential range of conditions an organism can occupy without competition.
The realized niche is the actual conditions where an organism lives due to interactions with other species.
Habitat can vary in size and type, such as forests, deserts, grasslands, aquatic environments, etc.
Niches are unique to species and prevent overlap, minimizing direct competition.
Species with similar niches often exhibit resource partitioning to coexist.
The habitat provides the necessary resources like food, shelter, and breeding grounds.
Niche differentiation allows species with overlapping niches to reduce competition.
A specialist species has a narrow niche and relies on specific resources (e.g., panda and bamboo).
A generalist species has a broad niche and can adapt to a variety of conditions (e.g., raccoons).
Keystone species have a disproportionate effect on their habitat and niche.
The concept of ecological equivalence explains species in different habitats having similar niches.
Microhabitats are small-scale habitats within larger ecosystems.
Examples of habitat: Coral reefs for marine organisms, savannas for elephants, and tundras for polar bears.
Examples of niche: Pollinators like bees help plants reproduce while feeding on nectar.
Environmental gradients like altitude and latitude influence habitat distribution.
Competitive exclusion principle states that two species cannot occupy the same niche indefinitely.
Niche overlap occurs when species share resources, often leading to competition.
Habitat destruction due to human activities is a major cause of biodiversity loss.
Niches are dynamic and can change with environmental conditions or species evolution.
The habitat provides the external environment, while the niche determines the organism's ecological role.
Autotrophs (producers) occupy the niche of energy converters through photosynthesis or chemosynthesis.
Heterotrophs (consumers) occupy niches as herbivores, carnivores, omnivores, or decomposers.
A niche also involves an organism's role in nutrient cycling and energy flow.
Indicator species often reflect the health of their habitat through their presence or absence.
Changes in habitat can lead to species migration, adaptation, or extinction.
Habitat and niche concepts are integral to conservation biology and ecosystem management.
Niche modeling is used to predict species distributions under various environmental conditions.
Ecotones are transitional zones between two habitats with high biodiversity.
Habitat fragmentation can disrupt species niches and lead to ecological imbalances.
Niches are shaped by both biotic factors (e.g., predation, competition) and abiotic factors (e.g., temperature, water availability).
Invasive species often exploit unoccupied or weakly occupied niches, disrupting ecosystems.
Habitat restoration is crucial for re-establishing ecological niches and biodiversity.
The niche breadth refers to the range of resources a species can use.
Studies on habitat and niche help understand species adaptation and ecosystem dynamics.
Interactions like mutualism, parasitism, and commensalism define specific niche roles.
Understanding niche theory is critical for ecological modeling and conservation planning.
The habitat niche concept is used to analyze species behavior and interactions in ecosystems.
Climatic changes can force species to shift their niches or lead to niche compression.
Endemic species have highly specialized niches, often tied to specific habitats.
Ecological succession involves changes in habitat and niche availability over time.
Habitat corridors help maintain connectivity for species with specific niche requirements.
Human activities like deforestation and urbanization alter habitats and niches.
The concept of habitat and niche forms the foundation of ecological research and biodiversity studies.