Ecological Niches Flashcards
1
Q
Ecological niche:
A
the role and space that an organism fills in an ecosystem, including all its interactions with the biotic and abiotic factors in the envrionment
2
Q
Specialised habitats of an organism include (out of 5):
A
- space and territory
- nutrition and feeding habits
- interactions and relationships with other organisms
- reproductive habits
- its role and impacts in the habitat or ecosystem
3
Q
Fundamental niche:
A
full range of conditions under which it could potentially survive and reproduce –> i.e. ideal niche
4
Q
Realised niche:
A
the specific set of conditions under which the organism actually does survive in –> i.e. a smaller more realistic niche
5
Q
Competitive exclusion principle:
A
If two species share a niche this leads to inter-specific competition for resources
6
Q
Keystone species:
A
a species which has a disproportionate effect on the structure of an ecological community
7
Q
Keystone species can include (out of 6):
A
- Keystone predators
- Keystone modifiers
- Keystone plants
- Keystone foundation species
- Keystone link species
- Keystone prey
