Niches and Habitats
Limited Resources and
Competition
Ms. Blalock, Ms. Hartsell
INM: Niches and Habitats (10 min)
• Niche:
– Refers to the way in which an organism fits into its
community or ecosystem
– It involves BOTH
• The place where an organism lives AND
• The role/job the organism plays in that place
Niche Example
Habitat
• Habitat:
– Refers to the actual location in the environment
where an organism lives
– It is the place where the organism stays
Niche vs. Habitat
Niche
• It is like the profession or
job that an organism has in
its environment
• For example: An worm’s
niche or profession
– Mix up the soil
– Decompose dead things
– Bring nutrients into the soil
Habitat
• It is like the address of the
organism
• For example: A worm’s
habitat or address
– Soil or the ground
Limited Resources
• The environment and its resources (food,
water and shelter) are limited.
• This has an affect on the interactions among
organisms
• Relationships between organisms can be
neutral, negative or positive
Competition
• When 2 or more organisms of the same or
different species attempt to use a resource in
the same place at the same time.
Competition Examples
Think, Pair, Share
Directions: Discuss the following question with
a buddy at your table.
Do you believe the lions would have reacted in
the same way if there were a group of birds
instead of hyenas in the area?