Chapter 5-3

Ecological Niches & Adaptation

Question of the Day Question of the Day Q: Which country is undergoing rapid population growth?

ECOLOGICAL NICHESECOLOGICAL NICHES

Each species in an ecosystem has a specific Each species in an ecosystem has a specific role or way of life.role or way of life. Fundamental nicheFundamental niche: the full potential range of : the full potential range of

physical, chemical, and biological conditions and physical, chemical, and biological conditions and resources a species could theoretically use.resources a species could theoretically use.

Realized nicheRealized niche: to survive and avoid : to survive and avoid competition, a species usually occupies only part competition, a species usually occupies only part of its fundamental niche.of its fundamental niche.

Generalist and Specialist Species: Generalist and Specialist Species: Broad and Narrow NichesBroad and Narrow Niches

Generalist Generalist species tolerate species tolerate a wide range of a wide range of conditions.conditions.

Specialist Specialist species can species can only tolerate a only tolerate a narrow range of narrow range of conditions.conditions.

SPOTLIGHTSPOTLIGHTCockroaches: Nature’s Ultimate Cockroaches: Nature’s Ultimate

SurvivorsSurvivors 3,500 different species3,500 different species

Ultimate generalistUltimate generalist Can eat almost anything.Can eat almost anything. Can live and breed almost Can live and breed almost

anywhere.anywhere. Can withstand massive Can withstand massive

radiation.radiation.

Specialized Feeding NichesSpecialized Feeding Niches

Resource partitioning reduces competition Resource partitioning reduces competition and allows sharing of limited resources.and allows sharing of limited resources.

Fig. 4-8, pp. 90-91

Piping plover feedson insects and tinycrustaceans on sandy beaches

(Birds not drawn to scale)

Black skimmerseizes small fishat water surface

Flamingofeeds on minuteorganismsin mud

Scaup and otherdiving ducks feed on mollusks, crustaceans,and aquatic vegetation

Brown pelican dives for fish,which it locates from the air

Avocet sweeps bill throughmud and surface water in search of small crustaceans,insects, and seeds

Louisiana heron wades intowater to seize small fish

Oystercatcher feeds onclams, mussels, and other shellfish into which it pries its narrow beak

Dowitcher probes deeplyinto mud in search ofsnails, marine worms,and small crustaceans

Knot (a sandpiper)picks up worms andsmall crustaceans leftby receding tide

Herring gull is atireless scavenger

Ruddy turnstone searches

under shells and pebbles

for small invertebrates

Differences in Adaptations Differences in Adaptations Each species has a Each species has a

beak specialized to beak specialized to take advantage of take advantage of certain types of food certain types of food resource.resource.

This allows each This allows each species to survive in species to survive in the environment the environment