5.13—Niche, distribution and abundance

A niche is the role of a species in its habitat: what it uses, where and when it feeds, and how it interacts with other organisms. Distribution and abundance reflect how well that role fits local conditions.

Two species with identical resource use would compete directly. Small differences in feeding time, food or location can reduce overlap and allow coexistence, but similar niches still tend to lower abundance.

Two birds may eat insects in the same tree yet coexist if one feeds in the canopy by day and the other on the trunk at dusk; the distinction is ecological, not just geographical.

“Same habitat” does not mean “same niche”. Do not infer competitive exclusion from a single observation without comparing resources and population evidence.