HABITAT AND ECOLOGICAL NICHE

HABITAT IS THE AREA WHERE A SPECIES IS BIOLOGICALLY ADAPTED TO LIVE. THE HABITAT TO A GIVEN  SPECIES OR POPULATION IS MARKED BY THE PHYSICAL AND BIOLOGICAL FEATURES OF ITS ENVIRONMENT SUCH AS THE VEGETATION, CLIMATIC CONDITIONS, PRESENCE OF WATER AND MOISTURE, SOIL TYPE, ETC.

HOW DO SO MANY SPECIES LIVE TOGETHER IN AN ECOSYSTEM WITHOUT FIERCE COMPETITION TAKING PLACE?

SPECIES EAT OTHER SPECIES OF COURSE, BUT THIS DOES NOT LEAD GENERALLY TO EXTERMINATION OF SPECIES. THE REASON IS THAT EACH SPECIES IN AN ECOSYSTEM HAS FOUND ITS HABITAT AND, WHAT IS MORE, ITS OWN ECOLOGICAL NICHE WITHIN THE HABITAT.

THE ECOLOGICAL NICHE IS CHARACTERIZED BY THE PARTICULAR FOOD HABITS, SHELTER-SEEKING METHODS, WAYS OF NESTING AND REPRODUCTION, ETC., OF THE SPECIES. IT INCLUDES ALL ASPECTS OF THE ORGANISM'S EXISTENCE-ALL THE PHYSICAL, CHEMICAL, AND BIOLOGICAL FACTORS THAT IT NEEDS IN ORDER TO LIVE AND REPRODUCE. WHEN DIFFERENT SPECIES LIVE IN THE SAME HABITAT, COMPETITION MAY BE SLIGHT OR EVEN NON-EXISTENT, BECAUSE EACH HAS ITS OWN ECOLOGICAL NICHE.