Ecosystems and Organism Interactions | Basic Knowledge

Описание: Study Guide: Ecosystems and Organism Interactions


‼️ Habitat vs. Niche — SIMPLE GUIDE

Think of the natural world like a neighborhood. Every organism has:

A place it lives → its address

A job it does → its profession


This is the easiest way to understand habitat and niche.




‼️ 1. Habitat = An Organism’s Address

Habitat = WHERE an organism lives.

It’s the physical place you would find the organism in nature.

A habitat includes:

🔹 Physical (non-living) resources

Water in a pond

Soil type

Tree branches for nesting


🔹 Biological (living) resources

What it eats

What eats it

The plants and animals it interacts with


Habitat = the “address” and the resources found there.




‼️ 2. Niche = An Organism’s Profession

Niche = WHAT an organism does and HOW it lives.

It includes:

🔹 Its role

A bee collects nectar and pollinates plants

A woodpecker drills into trees for insects


🔹 Its needs

Food type

Temperature range

How much water it requires


Niche = its job, its needs, and its impact on the environment.




‼️ 3. Habitat vs. Niche (Side-by-Side)

Concept Simple Analogy Key Question

Habitat Address Where does it live?
Niche Profession What does it do there?


Many species can share the same habitat, but they cannot share the same niche, because this leads to competition.




‼️ 4. How Competition Shapes Niches

Competition decides how big or small a species' “job” can be.

🌟 Fundamental Niche = Dream Job

Everything a species could do if nothing competed with it.

Example:
A barnacle could live anywhere on a rocky shore (high tide → low tide).
This whole area is its fundamental niche.

🌍 Realized Niche = Actual Job

What a species actually does after competition.

If another barnacle species out-competes it for the lower shore, the first barnacle must live higher up.
This smaller area is the realized niche.



‼️The Competitive Exclusion Principle

“No two species can have the exact same niche.”
If they try, one will eventually win, and the other must:

change its role (find a realized niche), or

leave, or

die out


This principle explains why organisms become specialists.




‼️ 5. Key Takeaways (Simplified)

1. Habitat = Address
Where an organism lives and gets resources.


2. Niche = Profession
What it does, how it lives, and how it affects its ecosystem.


3. Competition shrinks niches

Fundamental niche = potential job

Realized niche = actual job after competition