In ecology, a niche refers to the place or position occupied by an organism or a population within an ecological community called the ecosystem.  It is the term which defines the role the organism or the population plays in the general scheme of things.  The niche an organism or a population holds is the one responsible for dictating the ability of the species to survive.  It is the one which spells whether an organism or a population will perish or thrive. Read the rest of this entry »