Realized Niche

A realized niche refers to the specific role or position a species actually occupies in its environment, shaped by various factors such as competition, predators, and resource availability. It differs from the potential niche, which represents the broader range of conditions where a species could survive and thrive without these limitations. Essentially, the realized niche takes into account the realities of ecosystem interactions and environmental constraints, showing the actual space a species fills in the natural world, rather than just the ideal one.