Question

The term niche of a species refers to
A. Specific and habitual function.
B. Specific place where an organism lives and performs its duty.
C. Competitive power of an organism.
D. Specific function of organism.

Answer 1

The term niche is derived from a French word nicher, which means ‘to nest’. Niche (also called ecological niche) is defined as the functional role that an organism plays in an ecosystem. It also gives the position of an organism in an ecosystem. It describes the response of an organism to available resources and its interrelation with organisms of other species while living in a particular habitat.

Complete answer:
• The part of the earth where life is present is called the biosphere.
• Biosphere is made up of living factors or organisms such as microbes, fishes, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals called biotic factors and nonliving factors like sunlight, soil, water, chemical compounds, air and others called abiotic factors.
• All the members of a particular species living in the same place at the same time constitute the population of that place or area.
• All populations of the area form the community.
• Community and abiotic factors of that area make up the ecosystem.
• Within the ecosystem, the place where an organism lives is called its habitat and the role or job that an organism plays in an ecosystem while living in its habitat in order to survive or make a living is called its niche. Niche also includes the interaction or relationship of an organism with organisms of other species and other components of the environment. This relationship can include mutualism (beneficial for both species), commensalism (neutral for one and beneficial for other) or parasitism (adverse for one and beneficial for other).

For example – a habitat of earthworms can be small like soil in a garden kitchen or large like soil in agricultural land. In both small and large habitats, the role of earthworms does not change and remains the same which is decomposition of dead material. This role of decomposition played by an earthworm in soil is its niche.

• Thus a niche can be described as the duty/role performed by an organism at a place where it lives (habitat).

Hence, the correct answer is option (B).

Note: A niche is different from a habitat. Habitat is a place where an organism lives. All organisms live in a particular habitat. Some organisms can survive in various habitats. On the other hand, niche refers to the functional role that an organism plays while living in a habitat.