In Biology, what is a Niche?
In biology or ecology, a niche is a specialized area in which evolution optimizes certain species for. Some examples of niche are predator, grazer, hunter-gatherer, scavenger, and parasite. Examples of animals occupying those niches are lion, deer, human, vulture, and roundworm. There are many different ways to determine and list niches, including many possible levels of specificity in describing niches. The first niche was likely occupied by chemotrophs, microorganisms that gained energy from the environment by oxidizing inorganic compounds like sulfates. A couple billion years later, chemotrophs were followed by photosynthesizers, or producers/autotrophs, which gained their energy by using the sun’s rays, carbon dioxide, and water to generate ATP, the energy currency of the cell. These organisms were cyanobacteria, and they persist in large numbers to this day. More modern autotrophs include trees, flowering plants, and vines. For plants, the rainforest may be the best example of nic
