5. niche Flashcards
1
Q
what is an ecological niche?
A
An ecological niche is a multi-dimensional summary of tolerances and requirements of a species
2
Q
what is a fundamental niche?
A
A species has a fundamental niche that it occupies in the absence of any interspecific competition
3
Q
what is a realised niche?
A
A realised niche is occupied in response to interspecific competition
4
Q
what happens as a result of interspecific competition?
A
As a result of interspecific competition, competitive exclusion can occur, where the niches of two species are so similar that one declines to local extinction
5
Q
when is resource partitioning necessary?
A
Where the realised niches are sufficiently different, potential competitors can co-exist by resource partitioning
