An edition of Ecological niches (2003)
Ecological Niches
Linking Classical and Contemporary Approaches (Interspecific Interactions)
By Jonathan M. Chase,Mathew A. Leibold
Publish Date
July 1, 2003
Publisher
University Of Chicago Press
Language
eng
Pages
216
Description:
Although the niche concept has fallen into disfavour among ecologists in recent years, this book argues that the niche is an ideal tool with which to unify disparate research and theoretical approaches in contemporary ecology. The authors define the niche as including both what an organism needs from its environment and how that organism's activities shape its environment. Drawing on the theory of consumer-resource interactions, as well as its graphical analysis, they develop a framework for understanding niches that is flexible enough to include a variety of small- and large-scale processes, from resource competition, predation, and stress to community structure, biodiversity, and ecosystem function.