The Niche Concept Flashcards
1
Q
What is a Niche?
A
- the role an organism plays in an ecosystem
2
Q
What are biotic factors?
A
- all the living factors of an organism
3
Q
What are abiotic factors?
A
- all the non- living factors of an organism
4
Q
What does it mean by biotic relationships?
A
- interspecific competition for resources
- what it eats
- what eats it
5
Q
What does it mean by abiotic relationships?
A
- shade it creates (tree)
- Oxygen that it uses/ carbon dioxide it makes
- uses of minerals e.g. nitrates
6
Q
what does it mean by each species have its own niche?
A
- if two species has exactly the same niche they would compete for everything
7
Q
what is the abundance of species in a ecosystem?
A
- it will vary depending or how much competition for resources exists
8
Q
Why does the distribution of species vary?
A
- It will vary because an organism only exists where its niche exists
e.g. blue tits not in Antarctica -> no insects to eat, no trees to rest in, too cold
9
Q
What does it mean specicies have similar niches?
A
- species can have similar niches - this overlaps causing interspecific competition e.g. blue tits + great tits compete for food and sites
