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The Ecological Niche and Exotic Species Ecological Niche An Ecological Niche is: the job or role an organism occupies in its ecosystem. This role includes where it lives and everything it does to survive and reproduce • A species' niche includes: – Nutrition - its method of obtaining food – Habitat - where it lives in the ecosystem – Activity – when it is active • Species occupying the same niche will compete for limited resources!! • Examples: Food, shelter, light, water Examples • Raccoon – Omnivore – Forest/Urban areas – Nocturnal • American Toad – Adult: carnivore; Tadpole: herbivore – Wet areas (ponds, ditches, creeks) – Nocturnal Examples • Red-Tailed Hawk – Carnivore – Open fields, forest edge – Diurnal – Non-migratory Terms • Nocturnal: Active at night • Diurnal: Active during the day • Competition: Organisms striving to acquire resources in order to survive at the expense of others. Terms • Intra-specific competition: Competition within the species. • Inter-specific competition: Competition between species. Competition Between 2 Species for a Niche • Two species partially share a niche: both compete in the overlapping parts of the niche for resources, nesting sites, or territory. If the overlap is minimal, both species can coexist. • Ex. Owl Hawk • • • • *soars over grasslands * active during daylight * eyes detect colour * nests in tops of trees * hunts prey in the forest (short wing) * active at dusk and night * eyes detect motion * nests in cover of forest These organisms feed on many of the same organisms but occupy distinctly different niches due to species adaptations. These adaptations allow the organisms to coexist Competitive Exclusion Principle • The competitive exclusion principle states that: only 1 species can occupy a whole niche in an ecosystem at a time. One species will always be superior to the other in utilizing the niche. The 2nd species will disappear from the ecosystem. • Examples • Rabbit vs. wombat • Goby vs. mottled sculpin Exotic Species • Exotic species are those that are not indigenous to an area • The introduction of an exotic specie often results in competition between the exotic and the indigenous species. • If the exotic has a competitive advantage it will often displace the native specie. Examples • Zebra mussels – Lake Erie – Arrived on bottoms of boats from Caspian Sea – Pearly mussel displaced • Cane Toad – Australia – Introduced (from Hawaii) to control cane beetle population – Displaced native toads Examples • Killer Bees – Brazil – Introduced (from Africa) to cross-pollinate with native honey bees – Will attack in large numbers Scientific consequences Social consequences Legal & ethical consequences Invasive species has appeared Economic Environmental consequences consequences Personal consequences Consequence Mapping Article Analysis • Read article. • Answer questions. Read pg 7 – 13, 49 – 64 Questions pg 55 1, 4, 5 pg 64 2, 4, 5