Ecological Tolerance

Question 1

Fundamental Niche “Ecological Tolerance”

Answer 1

The suite of abiotic conditions under which a species can survive, grow, and reproduce.

Question 2

Realized Niche

Answer 2

The range of abiotic and biotic conditions under which a species lives.

Question 3

What determines where individuals and species can live?

Answer 3

Individuals and species have a range of abiotic conditions under which they can survive, grow, and reproduce. The suite of all suitable abiotic conditions, known as fundamental niches, determines where individuals and species can potentially live. Biotic interactions including competition, predation, and pathogens can further restrict this range to a realized niche.

Question 4

Geographic Range

Answer 4

Areas of the world in which a species lives.

Question 5

How does environmental change affect species?

Answer 5

Given that species are adapted to particular environmental conditions that determine their distributions on Earth, changes in the environment can alter the geographic range of species.

Question 6

How can environmental change cause species extinctions?

Answer 6

When environmental conditions experience more extreme changes, species can go extinct. This can happen because the changes are too rapid for species to respond, the species are unable to shift their distributions, or the attempt to shift the distribution is met with resistance by other species of predators, pathogens, or competitors that restrict the fundamental niche of the species that is trying to shift.

Question 7

Mass extinction

Answer 7

A large number of species went extinct over a relatively short time.