Answer – The fundamental niche of an organism is the range of environmental conditions that best facilitate its survival, growth and spread.
Explanation:
Every organism in an ecosystem has a particular function to fulfill within it. In ecology, this role played by the organism is termed its ‘niche’.
The niche an organism occupies is determined and defined by the environmental conditions in the ecosystem (biotic and abiotic factors), and the manner in which it interacts with them – it can bring about certain kinds of changes in them and/or utilize them for its own survival.
The fundamental niche is the ideal state for the unlimited growth and survival of an organism. All the biotic and abiotic resources it requires are present in abundance, and limiting factors such as competition and predators are removed from its surroundings.
The fundamental niche is in contrast to the realized niche, which is the actual state of the environment for most (if not all) organisms. Resources are exhaustible and other species pose significant competition for access to them. Besides competition, these other species may also act as predators.
