Niche - Introduction, Definition, Types & Importance

1. NICHE
 Presented By: Praveen Sahu
 M.Sc. 1st Semester
 School of Studies in Environmental Science
 Pt. Ravishankar Shukla University Raipur (C.G.)

2. lntroduction
Definition
Types of Niche
Importance
References
CONTENT

3. INTRODUCTION
• Ecology is study of the interactions between
organisms and their environments, which comprise
an ecosystem. The places organisms live in are
called habitats.
• An ecological niche, in contrast, is the ecological
role an organism plays within its habitat.

4. DEFINITION
Niche is the functional role and position of a species in
its environment that describes how the species responds
to the distribution of resources and competitors or
predators.
Image Source
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Flightless_Dung_Beetle_Circellium_
Bachuss,_Addo_Elephant_National_Park,_South_Africa.JPG

5. TYPES OF NICHE
The three aspects of ecological niche:
1.Spatial niche
2.Trophic niche
3.Hypervolume niche :
• Fundamental niche
• Realised niche

6. Spatial Niche
It relates to the concept of habitat. But differs from it, in the
sense that while different species may occupy the same
habitat, the activity of each organism may actually confine to a
small portion of habitat termed as microhabitat.
Example : Milipeds and Oak Tree
Image Source - https://images.app.goo.gl/mYPLqqWWb3fgzCMo9 Image Source - https://images.app.goo.gl/nhqwBCVQRfwfyyre8
Fig – Milipeds Fig – Oak tree

7. Trophic Niche
It is concern with the tropic position of organisms. In
this case two species lives in the same habitat but
they occupied different tropical niche because of
difference in food chain.
Example : Aquatic Bug Notonecta and Corixa
Image Source - https://images.app.goo.gl/KqiPsGp1hBnf9eLm9 Image Source - https://images.app.goo.gl/Reu25USkaU69anvJ9
Fig - Corixa
Fig - Notonecta

8. Hypervolume Niche
It is also know as Hutchension Niche developed in 1965, that the niche can be
considered total range of environmental condition under which organisms live
and reproduced. This consequences was initial limed environmental variables
affecting species such as light, temperature, moisture, height of vegetation
and time.
A useful extension of the niche concept is the distinction between
(i). Fundamental niches: The fundamental niche of a species includes
the total range of environmental conditions that are suitable for existence
without the influence of interspecific competition or predation from other
species.
(ii). Realized niches: The realized niche describes that part of the
fundamental niche actually occupied by the species

9. Image Source -https://images.app.goo.gl/pdE7FssymrdcdEov5
Image Source- https://images.app.goo.gl/ZaHLArdFdnT5SdgQ6
Image Source – https://images.app.goo.gl/EejgZoRD1jqMSsht7
Image Source - https://images.app.goo.gl/LFJC769dvsMXmsLY7

10. IMPORTANCE
• Ecologists use the concept of the ecological niche to help
understand how communities relate to environmental
conditions, fitness, trait evolution and predator-prey
interactions in communities. This becomes ever more
important as climate change affects community ecology.
• Ecological niches allow species to exist in their
environment. Under the right conditions, the species will
thrive and play a unique role. Without the ecological
niches, there would be less biodiversity, and the
ecosystem would not be in balance.

11. REFERENCES
1. https://sciencing.com/ecological-niche-definition-types-importance-
examples-13719219.html
2. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ecological_niche
3. https://qforquestions.com/ecological-niche/amp/
4. https://youtu.be/sCXCRhgyVzE