Ecological Niches Summary

Ecosystems: Limited resources include habitat space, food, water, and mates.
Competition: Occurs for resources, can be:
- Interspecific competition: Between different species.
- Intraspecific competition: Within the same species.
Niche: Unique way of life for each species in an ecosystem influenced by interspecific competition.
Competition Exclusion Principle: Two species with the exact same niche cannot coexist; one will outcompete the other.
Resource Partitioning: One species evolves to use slightly different resources to reduce direct competition.
Survival of the Fittest: Intraspecific competition promotes traits suited to the species' niche leading to increased survival and reproduction.
Adaptations: Features developed over time to better suit organisms to their niche.
Example: Anolis lizards in the Caribbean have evolved to occupy unique niches with different traits based on habitat (elevation, vegetation, sunlight). - Adaptation traits:
- Species at higher elevations: Larger toepads, long legs, stocky body for gripping. - Species at lower elevations: Shorter legs for clinging to small twigs.