Group A: Ecological Niche and Competitive Exclusion

Front

What are the three parts of an organism’s ecological niche?

Back

Three parts of a niche include food type, abiotic conditions, and behavior.

Front

What does the principle of competitive exclusion say will happen when two species compete for the same resource?

Back

One species will be better suited to the niche and the other species will either be pushed into another niche or become extinct.

Front

Predict: If a group of mantella frogs were transported to the ecosystem of the poison dart frogs, what might happen to the two species’ populations?

Back

As ecological equivalents, they share a similar niche. The population better suited to the niche might deprive the other of resources, causing the other to die off. Or one population might respond to limited resources by altering its niche.

Front

Analyze: A bison and an elk live in the same habitat and feed on the same grasses. Does this mean that the competitive exclusion principle does not apply? Explain.

Back

The competitive exclusion principle only applies if the two species occupy the same niche and habitat. These two species use the same food resource but occupy different niches.

Front

What happens if a new species is introduced to an area?

Back

If a new species is introduced to an area, it may occupy a similar niche as a native species and be better adapted for the niche or have no natural predators. This could drive the native species to extinction.

Front

A habitat

Back

includes all of the living and nonliving

components of the environment in which an organism

lives. For example, the plants, the fish, the birds,

the shade, and the water are all parts of the habitat

Front

A niche

Back

includes all of the physical, chemical, and

biological factors that a species uses.

Front

The principle of competitive exclusion

Back

states that when two species

are competing for the same resources, one species will be better suited to

the niche, and the other species will either be pushed into another niche

or will become extinct.

Front

Ecological equivalents

Back

are species that occupy similar niches but live in

different geographical regions

Front

Why don’t ecological equivalents compete for resources?

Back

Because ecological equivalents live in different

geographic regions.