Niches

39 Comments / Ecology / By

The other day my local newspaper ran a letter from a realtor who is supporting a proposed housing development of 1400 acres. He dismissed the effect on wildlife due to the destruction of habitat that will ensue by saying that the animals will just move. “The hawks will just move elsewhere to find food.” This rather ignorant remark ignores the reality of what ecologists call “niches.” A niche, or ecological niche, is both a habitat supplying the factors necessary for the existence of an organism and the ecological role of an organism in a community especially in regard to food consumption. Every organism occupies a niche specific to their needs. A squirrel can’t live in a stream and earthworms don’t inhabit live trees.

Habitat is a home; niche is a job.

So if a hawk is displaced from its home, it needs to find another place to serve as its niche. Problem is, if it does find a new geographical location that will serve its needs – food, water, nest sites – it is likely that another hawk already occupies that niche. Hawks (or other creatures) are not going to share resources willingly and it’s not likely that this new habitat has enough resources for both hawks. So what happens? One outcompetes the other and one dies or at least is unable to reproduce. There is no reason to expect organisms that occupy the same niche to share; that’s not how nature works. In this parable from Dr. Seuss:

And Nuh is the letter I use to spell Nutches
Who live in small caves, known as Nitches, for hutches.
These Nutches have troubles, the biggest of which is
The fact there are many more Nutches than Nitches.
Each Nutch in a Nitch knows that some other Nutch
Would like to move into his Nitch very much.
So each Nutch in a Nitch has to watch that small Nitch
Or Nutches who haven’t got Nitches will snitch.

I don’t know about snitching, but you get the idea. The competitive exclusion principle states that no two species can occupy the same niche. They both need the same resources and one will outcompete the other. For two individuals of the same species, it’s the same idea. Unless there are sufficient resources, two hawks of the same species cannot survive in the same habitat. So forcing one hawk out of its habitat and saying that the hawk will just find food elsewhere is just ignoring reality. Unfortunately, that’s what often happens.

In limited ways we can mitigate the loss of habitat except to create new habitat. Not to create new land, that’s impossible, but to create new habitat out of what is minimal habitat. We can convert strip mines, minimally or nonproductive agricultural fields, clear cut forests, and land destroyed by natural disasters into useable wildlife habitat once more. Many conservation organizations do just that.

What we need is a system, or legislation, to create new habitat acre for acre for all that we destroy.

39 thoughts on “Niches”

  1. Glenn Butler

    The Orwellian term “development” needs a replacement to acknowledge the simultaneous environmental destruction. Ignorance of ecological principles appears to be directly proportional to the profit one makes from environmental exploitation.

    Is there a link to the newspaper letter?

    Reply
    1. Dr. Roger Lederer

      I don’t have a link to the newspaper letter as I don’t remember exactly what date it was but it’s in the Chico Enterprise Record in the past two weeks in one of the letter about the Valley’s Edge project.

      Reply
  2. Keith

    “In limited ways we can mitigate the loss of habitat except to create new habitat. Not to create new land, that’s impossible, but to create new habitat out of what is minimal habitat. We can convert strip mines, minimally or nonproductive agricultural fields, clear cut forests, and land destroyed by natural disasters into useable wildlife habitat once more. Many conservation organizations do just that.”
    Instead of converting the minimal or unusable habitat for wildlife, let’s convert it to humanoid habitat.

    Reply
  3. Michael Condon

    We need citizens who will demand that mitigation be part of the package before our city council approves the project…..

    Reply
  4. Paul Belz

    Thanks Roger, I am quite skeptical about the whole thing, and you stated this very well.. Take care and happy new year. I hope you saw lots of birds today! Paul B

    Reply
  5. Paula Monroe

    If only we could convince people and governments of the importance of maintaining habitat, not just for wildlife but for humans as well.

    Reply
  7. Azir

    Me: Trying to convert my backyard into a space where native plants/bees/birds/insects can thrive in
    This guy: “They’ll move”
    :’)

    Reply
  20. mahesh

    99exch live betting gives players real-time match odds and exciting betting opportunities. With quick 99exch id create options and reliable 99exchc customer support, users can enjoy a secure and smooth betting journey on a trusted platform. Visit us: https://99exchc.com/

    #99exch #LiveBetting #SportsBetting #CricketBetting

    Reply
  30. dafa247official

    One thing about IPL is that momentum shifts very quickly. If you’re not ready, you miss opportunities. That’s why platforms like dafa247official.com are important for staying active during matches.

    Reply
  35. allpanelexch

    Allpanelexch ID is required for accessing the gaming platform services.
    It allows users to securely enter and manage their account.

    The Allpanelexch ID system helps in user authentication.
    It ensures that only registered users can access the platform.

    Allpanelexch ID acts as the main login credential for users.
    It simplifies the process of joining and using the platform.

    https://allpanelexcha.com/allpanelexch-id/

    Reply
  37. gold365

    The Gold365 Site sounds impressive from the information shared here. User-friendly interfaces always contribute to a better gaming experience.

    Reply

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.