Defining your niche
Name: _______________________
To study organisms in the environment ecologists need to know a little bit about where and how an organism
lives. More than just knowing an organism’s “address” or habitat, ecologists also need to know how an
organism lives to survive and reproduce. You could call this an organism’s “occupation” or how they make
their living, as humans call it.
Niche- The range of physical and biological conditions in which a species lives and the way the species obtains
what it needs to survive and reproduce.
In defining your niche, you should:
1. Describe your habitat- This is like your address, but describe where you live instead, whether it be
describing your house, your block, city, or state.
2. Describe physical environments you best “tolerate”- Describe the ideal environment where you would
like to live some day, the environment that you most prefer to live in.
3. Describe your ideal biological factors for survival- Biological factors include mates, food, and
behaviors. Describe what you look for in a mate, what some of your favorite foods are, what things you
like to do with your free time, etc.
4. Describe how you obtain your resources for survival- In our world, we usually obtain our resources to
survive through an occupation or job while contributing to the community at the same time. Describe
your ideal job that you may like to do some day.
*** Be creative and display your niche how you wish, with pictures, written descriptions, a collage, etc***
Use the space provided below, the back of the worksheet, or make your own!