What is an ecological niche?
Q: What is an ecological niche?
A: An ecological niche is the part of the environment into which a species fits, and to which it is adapted. It describes how an organism makes a living in a place, and can be occupied by different species in different places even though they 'earn their living' in roughly the same way.
Q: Who was the first to use the term "niche" in biology?
A: The word niche was first used in biology by naturalist Roswell Johnson.
Q: Who was the first to offer the "exclusion principle"?
A: Joseph Grinnell was the first to offer the "exclusion principle" which states that only one species can occupy a particular niche at any one time.
Q: What branch of science studies interactions between living things and their environment?
A: Scientists who study interactions between living things and their environment are called ecologists, and their branch of science is called ecology.
Q: How would you define an ecological niche?
A: An ecological niche can be defined as a position or opportunity into which some organism fits well, where it is well suited to live.
Q: When did Joseph Grinnell use the term "niche" for research purposes?
A: Joseph Grinnell used the term "niche" for research purposes in 1917.
Q: What does the exclusion principle state?
A: The exclusion principle states that only one species can occupy a particular niche at any one time.
