Definition of Ecological Niche

If we consider any organism within a given species, it can survive, grow, reproduce and form part of a community in a viable way within an environmental situation, especially conditions of temperature. Precisely, the temperature variations of an organism are the basic coordinates of what an ecological niche is.

When saying that temperature is the main element that defines an ecological niche, the humidity conditions that affect a territory, since both parameters are decisive for the development of a living organism.

The concept of ecological niche is not something observable but it is an abstract term that was introduced in ecology in the 1950s and which includes, in addition to temperature and humidity, the rest of the environmental conditions and resources necessary for the maintenance of a population viable.

Knowing all the variables that make up an ecological niche allows us to understand how an organism lives within this habitat, in what way it transforms its Energy and how it relates to other species.

A key concept in environmental awareness

Ecology is a discipline scientific that from the theoretical point of view uses different explanatory models. Ecologists refer to modeling as the theoretical structure that enables knowledge of a habitat. Thus, the concept of ecological niche has several functions: 1) It helps to make strategic decisions about a certain species (for example, to protect it from a threat), 2) It facilitates the prediction of the behavior of a species and 3) It makes it possible to establish priorities within a strategy environmental

The idea of ​​an ecological niche model as a theoretical conception presents the following procedure: the introduction of climatic and topographic data in a computer program and a series of calculations on what you want to evaluate (for example, measure the impact of a plant species on a new territory). In this way, an ecological niche model would be like the recreation theoretical that serves to apply it to a specific reality.

The different ecological niche models offer answers to the problems that arise in a given habitat and, in a very special way, provide possible hypothesis to solve such problems.

On conclusion, the theoretical concept of ecological niche is a very useful tool to combat the degradation of the environment, preserve species and ensure the conservation of the different ecosystems of the planet.

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