Ecological Niche
An ecological niche is the role an organism has in an ecosystem. The niche of an organism involves what resources it needs, how it will obtain these resources, the habitat it lives in, and how it fits into the ecosystem, such as its predators and prey [5]. No two species can have the same ecological niche.
Mesophytes are plants which are found to be living in temperate condition, where it is neither too hot nor too cold, and there is a sufficient water supply available. Examples of some plants in the mesophyte group are[14]:
- Rosa multiflora - Grass - Clover - Corn Mesophytes can be found living in high density. The different plants living together are all in competition for light, water and minerals, and this abundance of mesophytes in the same habitat results in increased competition for resources and can sometimes make it difficult for plants to survive. The conditions mesophytes live in can be wither wet or dry, and this is largely dictated by the season. Water loss is only a problem for mesophytes when temperature or wind speed is high. |
Xerophytes are plants which typically live under conditions where water is scarce. Since they are exposed to arid and windy conditions, xerophytes have developed multiple adaptations to aid the conserving of water. As the lack of water supply is the main limitation for xerophytes, features which focus on retaining water are key for the survival of these plants. Some examples of common xerophytes are [21]:
- Cacti - Chaparral plants - Aloe vera |
Hydrophytes are plants which thrive in aquatic environments, like swamps and ponds, where there is an abundance of water. As a result of their habitat, hydrophytes have an excessive water supply, so this results in a limitation of having too much water. This means that the majority of adaptations in hydrophytes are to encourage the movement of water out of the plant, as opposed to conserving water. Examples of hydrophytes include [22]:
- Water lily - Lotus - Sea weeds |