Acronyms that contain the term niche differentiation 

Niche differentiation

The term niche differentiation, as it applies to the field of ecology, refers to the process by which natural selection drives competing species into different patterns of resource use or different niches. This process allows two species to partition certain resources so that one species does not out-compete the other as dictated by the competitive exclusion principle; thus, coexistence is obtained through the differentiation of their ecological niches. Niche partitioning may not occur if there is sufficient geographic and ecological space for organisms to expand into. Niche differentiation is a process which occurs through several different modes and on multiple temporal and spatial scales. In most cases, niche differentiation has created a relationship between two species where current competition is small or non-existent. Because of this, the presence of niche differentiation can be methodologically difficult to prove or disprove. The lack of evidence for current or past competition can blur the line between 1 two competitive species differentiating their niches to allow coexistence as opposed to 2 two non-competing species which occupy similar niches.

see more »