What is the Ecological Niche

To simply define an ecological niche, we need to borrow the words of Howard T. Odum, an American ecologist who pioneered major research and studies on ecosystem ecology. Odum in 1959 defined ecological niche using an analogy: if the habitat refers to the "address", the ecological niche refers to the "profession" of organisms.

A habitat is totally different. This is just a place where living organisms like plants and animals can a plant or animal can get the food, water, shelter and space it needs to live.

An ecological niche describes the overall existence of an organism in a given ecosystem. An ecosystem, meanwhile, is defined as an area where plants, animals and micro organisms function together with the inorganic elements of the area.

When we talk about overall existence in an ecological niche, it means that it includes the various activities of the organisms, how they interact, how they build relationships, and how they get and use resources to survive.

The niche is actually composed of three elements: the habitat which refers to the place organisms live in an ecosystem; relationships which are interactions with other species inside the ecosystem; and finally the element of nutrition which indicates the method on how species gather food.

The word "niche" actually came from the French word "nicher" which means "to nest."

Meanwhile, ecologists have identified the fundamental niche to refer to a the ideal or favorable condition wherein organisms can reproduce and survive.

Then there's the concept of realized niche which is the condition where organisms actually live and takes into consideration the presence of other organisms that share the same set of natural resources. The competition within the same ecosystem restricts organisms to achieve their fundamental niche.

According to research, it is possible that two species can actually share a single niche without jeopardizing the overall survival state of each other. If, instances that an overlap on elements or aspects of the species' niche, one would develop subtle differences for it to survive.

Furthermore, it is possible for different species to hold similar niches in different locations. Also, the same species can occupy different niches in different locations.

It is noted that when an ecological niche became vacant, which can be due to natural or human interventions, other organisms would fill up the vacant position.

It is also possible that organisms overpower another species and become pests. This occur when organisms are introduced into a new environment. They have nothing to occupy but those niches of already existing native organisms. When these newly introduced organisms out compete the local ones they become a serious problem.