The ecological niche

Abstract

Outlines four concepts of the niche in ecology, arguing that Grinnell's and Elton's concepts were similar, that Hutchinson's ideas were revolutionary, and that the present "utilisation' concept developed from Hutchinson's under utilitarian pressures. The author summarises and evaluates the modern theory of the niche, especially as it relates to competiton. He then examines the extent to which replacement of such a theory by a set of more specialized concepts is desirable, focusing on the relationship of competition with niche overlap. -P.J.Jarvis