Practise interpreting a species’ niche diagram and monthly population pattern to explain how changing abiotic conditions affect abundance in IB Biology HL B4.1.4.
The model describes the fundamental and realized niches of a species of microscopic marine arthropod in the Northern hemisphere with respect to two different factors ( X and Y ). The abundance of the species is shown over twelve months. The fundamental niche is separated into five zones ranging from critical to optimal conditions. The population of the species in its realized niche each month is represented by an oval. The size of each oval shows the population abundance.
Outline how factor Y affects the species from January to April.