📚 Topic Summary
An ecological niche describes the role an organism plays in its environment, including its habitat, resource use, and interactions with other species. Community interactions encompass the relationships between different species within an ecosystem, such as competition, predation, mutualism, commensalism, and parasitism. Understanding these concepts is crucial for comprehending how ecosystems function and how populations evolve.
🌱 Part A: Vocabulary
Match the following terms with their definitions:
- Term: Competitive Exclusion Principle
- Term: Fundamental Niche
- Term: Realized Niche
- Term: Mutualism
- Term: Commensalism
Definitions:
- A. The actual niche an organism occupies, considering competition and other limiting factors.
- B. A relationship where both species benefit.
- C. The potential niche an organism could occupy if there were no competition.
- D. A relationship where one species benefits, and the other is neither harmed nor helped.
- E. Two species competing for the exact same resources cannot stably coexist.
Match the term to the definition (e.g., 1-A).
✍️ Part B: Fill in the Blanks
Complete the following paragraph using the words provided below.
In _______, one species benefits, while the other is harmed. _______ occurs when two species vie for the same resources, leading to a reduction in fitness for one or both. A classic example of _______ is the relationship between a lion and a zebra. Finally, _______ describes when one species benefits while the other is unaffected.
Words: Parasitism, Predation, Commensalism, Competition
🤔 Part C: Critical Thinking
Describe how resource partitioning allows multiple species to coexist within the same habitat. Provide a specific example.