Niches

Habitat

The natural environment where an organism lives including biotic and abiotic factors

Biomes

Large ecological areas on Earth’s surface, with fauna and flora adapting to their environment

Examples of Biomes

• tropical rainforests

• Deserts

• Savannah

• Temperature deciduous forests

• Temperature grasslands

• Taiga

• Tundra

Tropical rainforests (about biome)

Has high biodiversity, is warm and wet

Deserts (about biome)

Is arid, has extreme temperatures

Tundra (about biome)

Is cold and has limited vegetation

Range of Tolerance

Range of environmental conditions that are tolerable for survival in a species

Optimum range

Conditions where the species thrives

Zones of stress and intolerance

Conditions where survival is challenging or impossible

Ecological niche

The role and position a species has in its environment

Fundamental niche

Potential mode of existence, given the adaptations of the species

Realized Niche

Actual mode of existence, resulting

Niche differentiation

Allows coexistence of similar species by utilizing different resources