Ecological Niche

It is the observed process of change in the species structure of an ecological community over time. Within any community some species may become less abundant over some time interval, or they may even vanish from the ecosystem altogether. Similarly, over some time interval, other species within the community may become more abundant, or new species may even invade into the community from adjacent ecosystems. This observed change over time in what is living in a particular ecosystem is "ecological succession".

Ecological succession is the process where an ecosystem changes through time after some disturbance. Ecological succession is the major cause of ecological change. During this time, the community begins with few pioneering plants and animals and develops until it becomes stable. Also, it continues so that more and different kinds of organisms can be found in the location which leads to a diverse community (MacMillan 38)

This report discusses an experiment to study the relationship between the ecological niche and competition. The hypothesis formulated states that if competition traits are identical and resources are abundant than multiple species will be able to coexist, and if one species has an advantage over the others than this species will be more likely to out compete another species for resources. The objective of this experiment is to use a simulation model of a rabbit pen containing four different “species” of rabbits. The model establishes rules for each species that are based on a number of important characteristics reflecting their ecological niches and their competitive abilities. These

An individual that plays only part of its role because of competition or other types of species interactions is said to display a realized niche. Species over time divide the resources they commonly use by specializing in different ways.

Ecological succession is the slow replacement of an ecological community by another, as one gradually overtakes another. Primary succession is when a landscape previously devoid of life starts to grow small shrubs, and eventually trees. Secondary succession is the replacement of life with more life. A pioneer species is the first species to begin primary succession. Climax communities are achieved in the last stage of succession, remaining unchanged until an outside event

All reading is conducted orally with corresponding pictures, and various activities and graphic organizers are completed whole class and individually throughout the reading process. This module contains nine lessons and covers the following habitats: Arctic (Arctic tundra and Arctic Ocean), Sonoran Desert, East African savanna, temperate deciduous forest (Great Smoky Mountains), tropical rainforest (Amazon rainforest), freshwater, and saltwater, as well as habitat destruction and endangered

Imagine that a huge wave crashes down on you. Then it drags you back into the ocean. On your way you pass by an animal that is clinging on for dear life. In order to survive in these harsh conditions, animals need adaptations. An ecosystem is a biological community of interacting organisms and their physical environment. The California Spiny Lobster lives in the neritic e zone which is in between 200 meters and 0 meters. It is located on the continental shelf. They like living in coral reefs and the ocean ground. In order to survive in the neritic zone with predators, sea floor hiders, and other environmental threats, animals need adaptations.

Within communities, organisms compete for limited resources (food, space, mates, shelter). 613 of our native species (plants, birds, fish), compete with 240 introduced plant species, 19 introduced bird species, 9 introduced mammals and 2 amphibians. It is estimated that we have lost 30 native bird species due to this competition.

Ecosystems can be impacted by many factors such as climate, natural disasters, human pollution, water shortage etc. All of these are the factors that controls an ecosystem’s stability, productivity, and sustainability because these factors can kill, drive out, intoxicate, and destroy species’ natural habitats. These factors are spontaneous and temporarily and these can impact a very specific species which in turn can cause the collapse of an entire species. These species are call the Keystone species and they are organisms that are basically the arch or the support of the food chain in an ecosystem. They are special because without them, the population will be impacted negatively, such as too much overgrazing, overpopulation, and lack of food or predators for some animals. Keystone species are important

Unlike dominant species, a species that greatly affects a community due to its large biomass or abundance, keystone species are usually not the most abundant species in a community. Even though they are present in relatively small numbers, the individuals of a keystone species profoundly influence the entire community because they often effect the amount of available resources. Therefore, although both dominant and keystone species greatly affect a community, the removal of a keystone species can cause an ecosystem to collapse due to their small numbers and

Whether it is through competition, symbiotic relationships, pollinator dynamics or the millions of other interactions that occur in nature, species have evolved together and thus live in certain niches or behave in certain ways in order to survive. When I was younger I always thought of these observations as just the way things had to be in order for nature to work, but now I realize these relationships are key to understanding how the natural world has evolved due to environmental conditions. Furthermore, the understanding of the mechanisms behind these natural phenomena are important in developing solutions to the current mass extinctions and decline of species. The biodiversity I observed as a child in the mountains and the biodiversity that I am studying now in college is one of the subjects I find to be most intriguing and important about evolutionary biology. The ways in which species evolve through natural selection and thus differentiate how they behave, look, or live is what contributes to the natural beauty and interconnected interactions of nature that first made me love animals and the outdoors. The mechanisms of evolutionary biology keep me inspired to learn about the natural world in order to determine how I can help preserve it. This has led to my aspirations of going to graduate school in wildlife biology and pursuing a career in research to solve current issues in wildlife

A keystone species is a species that has a disproportionate effect on its environment relative to its abundance. Such an organism plays a role in its ecosystem that is analogous to the role of a keystone in an arch. While the keystone feels the least pressure of any of the stones in an arch, the arch still collapses without it. Similarly, an ecosystem may experience a dramatic shift if a keystone species is removed, even though that species was a small part of the ecosystem by measures of biomass or productivity. It has become a very popular concept in conservation biology.

A Fundamental Niche “Ideal Niche” can be described as the range of environmental conditions in which each species survives (S, P. 2011). Fundamental niche can also be described as the full range of environmental conditions that a population of species can fill and benefit from, without limiting factors current which could inhibit the population (E., 2017). Another way to describe fundamental niche is an ideal niche consisting of abiotic conditions and resources providing proper conditions for a species to survive (E., 2017). In my own words describe realized niche as the way a species lives in an ecosystem with the abstance of competition from other species within that ecosystem. When considering the fundamental niche of a species we

The difference between a fundamental niche and a realized niche is that “a fundamental niche is considered the area and resources that can theoretically be utilized, whereas, a realized niche is considered the area and resources that are actually able to to be utilized by a population” (Daempfle, 2016). Thus, exemplified in the Balanus and Chthamalus genera, along the Scottish seacoasts, the two genera share the fundamental niche of the Scottish seacoast. However, the realized niche of the Balanus is it’s most suitable adaptability to the lower portion of the seacoast, whereas, the Chthamalus, is better adapted to the upper parts of the

An ecological niche refers to an organism’s way of life - where it lives, its habitat, how it lives there and its adaptions. The radiate limpet lives in the low tide zone of the rocky platforms whereas the ornate