https://doi.org/10.1351/goldbook.14747
Intersection of ranges of tolerances for sets of resources utilized by organisms, represented mathematically by a multidimensional hypervolume whose dimensions correspond to environmental variables. Any species is considered unimodally distributed, i.e., confined to a habitat in the niche.
Notes:
- This niche concept is quantifiable and therefore particularly useful to ecologists. Hutchinson’s niche is the most accepted concept of the niche in use today. In practice, it is impossible to identify and quantify all the resources utilized by an organism. Thus, typically the limiting factors receive most attention.
- Two aspects of the niche can be visualized: A realized niche for a species is the sum of niche dimensions unique to that particular species. A fundamental niche is the total sum of the species niche dimensions including parts shared with other species and parts unshared.
See: niche