Habitat and Niche
Every organism relies on two essential components for its survival: a habitat and a niche.
A habitat is a physical place where an organism lives and thrives. For example, a frog's habitat might be a pond or wetland. It provides basic needs like food, water, shelter, and a suitable climate.
On the other hand, niche describes the organism's role in its ecosystem. It includes how the organism interacts with other organisms and resources.
For instance, the frog's niche involves preying on insects and acting as a food source for predators like snakes.
While many species can share the same habitat, each has a unique niche to reduce competition.
When two species attempt to occupy the same niche, they compete for resources.
For instance, gray squirrels, introduced to the UK, outcompeted native red squirrels for food sources like acorns. Red squirrels struggled to survive, forcing them to adapt to new habitats or face extinction.
Every organism relies on two essential components for its survival: a habitat and a niche.
A habitat is a physical place where an organism lives and thrives. For example, a frog's habitat might be a pond or wetland. It provides basic needs like food, water, shelter, and a suitable climate.
On the other hand, niche describes the organism's role in its ecosystem. It includes how the organism interacts with other organisms and resources.
For instance, the frog's niche involves preying on insects and acting as a food source for predators like snakes.
While many species can share the same habitat, each has a unique niche to reduce competition.
When two species attempt to occupy the same niche, they compete for resources.
For instance, gray squirrels, introduced to the UK, outcompeted native red squirrels for food sources like acorns. Red squirrels struggled to survive, forcing them to adapt to new habitats or face extinction.
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