Niche Partitioning

Niche Partitioning and
Species Coexistence Scientists at Work

Student Worksheet
OVERVIEW
This worksheet complements the short video “Niche Partitioning and Species Coexistence” from the Scientists at
Work series.
PROCEDURE
1. Prior to watching the film, read the questions below.
2. Watch the film.
3. If working with a partner or in a small group, discuss and answer the questions below. If working alone,
think about and answer the questions below.
QUESTIONS
1. List two pieces of evidence from the film justifying the claim that “termite mounds are an advantage to
the savanna ecosystem.”
- They concentrate nutrition and moisture.
- They enable the growth of trees.
2. Define the term niche:

A position in the habitat that the organism occupies
3. The film states that “Ecological theory predicts, ‘to coexist, each species must occupy a unique niche.’”
Based on your definition in the above question, explain this prediction in two sentences.
By having a unique niche, each species will not compete with each other for resources.
This would then allow them to coexist.
4. Technology has changed the way scientists do research. Provide three pieces of evidence from the film to
support the claim that “Technology is crucial for Dr. Pringle’s species coexistence research in Gorongosa
National Park.”
- They need technology to track the movement of the species through time.
- They can analyse the food source of the species
- They need access to technology to process their dat
5. Dr. Pringle states in the film, “Plant diversity and the presence of termite mounds help maintain large
mammal diversity.” Provide two pieces of evidence from the film (one about plant diversity and one about
termite mounds) to justify this claim.
The termite mounds diversity helps maintain plant diversity, which then provides diversity
for the mammals
Patterns and Processes in Ecology Revised September 2017

www.BioInteractive.org Page 1 of 3
Scientists at Work
Niche Partitioning and Species Coexistence Student Worksheet
6. Dr. Pringle is using DNA metabarcoding, summarized here:
a. Provide two reasons why it is important to isolate undigested plant cells.

So that the genetic information in the plant cells are preserved.
b. In order to use this DNA technique, the research team first collected DNA from 400 plant species that
grow on the African savanna and entered the sequence data into a database. Explain why this was a
necessary first step.
So they can mirror and compare the DNA sequences to match the sample with the
corresponding species.
7. Toward the end of the film, the narrator says, “The Pringle lab’s work reminds us that ecological
communities are profoundly interconnected.” Using sentences, describe three specific examples of the
interconnectedness of the organisms found in Gorongosa National Park.
Firstly, the three species that occupy their niche positions can coexist in the savannah.
Secondly, the marmites help maintain biodiversity for all other organisms.
8. Conservation biologists in other areas of the world think that knowing more about what wildlife eat will
help them make better decisions to protect threatened and endangered species. Explain two ways
conservationists could use DNA metabarcoding data to help make these decisions.
They could interfere with the food sources (plants) of the species, to ensure its availability
by growing more of it or prevent them from being drained. Secondly, they can set up a
new habitat that can offers the resources to those endagered species.

Scientists at Work
Niche Partitioning and Species Coexistence Student Worksheet
Plant Taxa Buffalo Cattle Impala The table to the left is from another metabarcoding
1 Hirpicium diffusum Yes Yes Yes study by Dr. Pringle. Use the table to complete a Venn
2 Gutenbergia (genus) Yes Yes Yes diagram illustrating the different plants eaten by
3 Emilia discifolia Yes Yes Yes three different animals. Label a circle for each of the
4 Osteospermum vaillantii No Yes Yes animals and then place a dot in the appropriate area
5 Helichrysum glumaceum No Yes Yes of the graph for each plant taxa.
6 Asteraceae (family) No No Yes
7 Eragrostis sp. Yes Yes No
8 Digitaria (genus) No Yes Yes
9 Tragus berteronianus No Yes Yes
10 Setaria sphacelata Yes No No
11 Eragrostis papposa No Yes No
12 Urochloa brachyura Yes No Yes
13 Echinochloa pyramidalis Yes No No
14 Harpachne schimperi Yes Yes Yes
15 Panicum maximum Yes Yes Yes
16 Garnotia (genus) Yes No No
17 Brachiaria eruciformis Yes No No
18 Sporobolus agrostoides Yes No No
19 Dinebra retroflexa No Yes No
20 Pennisetum hohenackeri Yes No No
Data from Kartzinel, et al. (2015). PNAS 112(26), 8019–8024.
9. Which two animals have the most overlap in their diets? Justify your response.
10. Cattle and buffalo share a similar fundamental niche, the entire set of conditions under which a
population can survive and reproduce. A realized niche is the set of conditions actually used by a given
population. Explain what the data in the Venn diagram suggest about the realized niches of the cattle
and buffalo and their ability to coexist. Use evidence to support your explanation.
11. If plant species #10, 13, 16, 17, 18, and 20 were no longer available to the buffalo, predict three
consequences to the stability of the biological communities and ecosystem.


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Niche Partitioning and

Species Coexistence Scientists at Work

2. Define the term niche:

Patterns and Processes in Ecology Revised September 2017

6. Dr. Pringle is using DNA metabarcoding, summarized here:

a. Provide two reasons why it is important to isolate undigested plant cells.

Patterns and Processes in Ecology Revised September 2017

Patterns and Processes in Ecology Revised September 2017

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