Which statement about a niche is true?

• A. A niche includes interactions with both biotic and abiotic factors
• B. A niche is only the physical space an organism occupies
• C. A niche is determined by diet only
• D. A niche is the habitat alone

Answer: (A)

A niche is the organism’s role in its ecosystem—the way it uses resources and interacts with other living things and the nonliving environment. It includes both biotic factors (predators, prey, competitors, symbiotic partners) and abiotic factors (temperature, humidity, light, soil, pH), along with behaviors like what it eats, when it forages, and where it forages or nests. That broader view explains why the statement is true: a niche covers the full context of how an organism fits into its environment, not just where it lives or what it eats alone. The idea isn’t limited to space (habitat), nor to diet alone, because a species’ niche encompasses its interactions, resource use, and timing within the ecosystem.