British Sign Language Glossaries of Curriculum Terms

BSL Environmental Science Glossary - Ecological niche definition

Definition: Ecological Niche is the impact that a specific animal or plant has on its environment in terms of its relationship and influence upon others and on resources.

Using the Barking Tree Frog as an example, let's look at the influence it has on its environment:

• It's mostly found in woodland regions and wetlands.
• Behaviours - often found in trees, can burrow in soil and barks to attract mates, feeds on small insects.
• Eaten by birds, snake, racoons.
• Impact on the ecosystem - limits the number of insects, aerates (adds air to the soil) and thereby improving the quality of the soil by burrowing.
• It is also a source of food for other animals.

All of the above are the Barking Tree Frog's impact and interrelationship with others in its environment - this is the frog's ecological niche.