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The Human Niche:
What’s our place in nature?
SNC1D Science
Niche:
A term that Science borrowed from Architecture.
A niche is a kind of alcove in a wall which can be:
• a place for special objects
• a focal point, or highlight
• specific, only for one item
Ecological
Niche:
The way an organism occupies its
place in an ecosystem, including:
• the resources it uses
• abiotic limiting factors
• biotic relationships with other
organisms
No two organisms occupy the exact
same niche, because no two
organisms live in exactly the same
way.
For example:
In South American
jungles, the ocelot
can only be the top
carnivore in the
absence of the
Jaguar;
In Canada’s Boreal
forest, the Lynx can
only be the top
carnivore in the
absence of the Wolf.
All four carnivores
hunt & behave
differently.
As prey populations increase,
predator populations grow.
Eventually prey decline.
This is Top-Down regulation.
As prey population
decreases, eventually
predator populations decline.
This is Bottom-Up regulation.
But then add competitors…
Some niches are highly specialized:
•Parasitism, Commensalism, Mutualism, Scavenging
Is there a human niche?
Unlike most organisms,
Humans are found everywhere
on the planet, in a variety of
ecosystems, including desert &
arctic.
Our species is not the biggest,
fastest, or fiercest thing on the
planet…
But it’s the brainiest &
handiest.
An Apposable
Thumb
Tool making led to better
use of resources,
enhanced nutrition &
survival, increased
fertility & better brain
development
A highly
developed
Brain
Planning, Learning,
Complex Thought,
Memory & Language
expanded our species’
use of resources,
contributing to our
success
Our species
created its own
niche, through:
•Agriculture
•Domestication
•Civilization
•Culture
As time progressed,
human population
grew. Resources were
not always used in a
sustainable manner.
Are we reaching our
carrying capacity?
Modern Human Population Growth is Exponential
Every time we alter the
ecosystem to increase
its carrying capacity,
we leave a mark on it.
This is our Ecological
Footprint, a measure of
our impact on the
environment.
Ecological Footprint by Country
The bigger the country, the greater its impact
Ecological Footprints:
what they are, in developed countries:
Here’s where you make your mark
Ecological Footprints:
What they ought to be
The footprint that
gets the most
attention is our CO2
Footprint, since it is
a major contributor
to climate change.
It can be changed!
We must live
sustainably: use our
resources in such a
way that they will last
forever, and keep our
footprint minimal.