Niche

Question 1

Define Niche.

Answer 1

The role of species within their habitat.

Question 2

Why can each niche only be occupied by one niche?

Answer 2

Because if 2 different species try to occupy the same niche they would compete and 1 would always out-compete the other.

Question 3

What is the feeding and structural niche of The Shag?

Answer 3

Feeding Niche:
• Dives into the water for fish

Structural Niche:
• Cliff edges and the sea

Question 4

What is the feeding and structural niche of the cormocordant?

Answer 4

Feeding Niche
• A bottom feeder. Eats mainly flatfish, prawns etc from shallow water in estuaries and harbours.

Structural Niche
• Broad cliff edges and the sea

Question 5

Two species cannot occupy the same niche.

How do the cormorant and the shag differ?

Answer 5

• the shag occupies narrower ledges
• it fishes further out to sea
• it captures fish and eels from the upper layers of the water

Question 6

What are the 3 ways organisms can be adapted to their Niche?

Answer 6

• Behavioural - the way an organism acts
• Anatomical - structural features of an organisms body
• Physiological - processes inside an organism body

Question 7

Possums play dead when a predator approaches, what type of adaptation is this?

Answer 7

Behavioural

Question 8

Otters are streamlined to swim faster, what type of adaptation is this?

Answer 8

Anatomical

Question 9

Some bacteria can produce antibiotics, what type of adaptation is this?

Answer 9

Physiological

Question 10

Brown Bears hibernate, what type of adaptation is this?

Answer 10

Physiological

Question 11

Scorpions do courtship dances before they mate, what type of adaptation is this?

Answer 11

Behavioural