ecological niche

American  

noun

Ecology.

1. the position or function of an organism in a community of plants and animals.

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ecological niche Cultural  

1. The place or function of a given organism within its ecosystem.

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Different organisms may compete for the same niche. For example, in a forest there may be a niche for an organism that can fly and eat nectar from blossoms. This niche may be filled by some sort of bird, or an insect, or even a mammal such as a bat.

Example Sentences

"Did jaws evolve in order to create a new ecological niche, or did our ancestors fill an existing niche first, and then diversify?" asks Prof. Sallan.

From Science Daily • Jan. 11, 2026

"A free-roaming cat is not filling an ecological niche, or reverting to its ancestral form. It is merely a run-away pet that needs to be brought back inside."

From Salon • Nov. 26, 2023

Hopefully some possible futures include an ecological niche for humans.

From Scientific American • Nov. 7, 2023

In some areas, species have had tens of millions of years to migrate and specialize, “filling each ecological niche completely.”

From National Geographic • Oct. 13, 2023

Because there is at least one other ecological niche in such an environment: hunting.

From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan