In the spring of 1958, G. Evelyn Hutchinson visited the sanctuary of Santa Rosalia on Mount Pellegrino in Palermo, Sicily. While examining a temporary pond near the saint’s cave, Hutchinson observed aquatic Hemiptera of the genus Corixa. He pondered how so many species could coexist in the same environment and realized that diversity is shaped not only by historical and geographical factors but also by ecological processes (Hutchinson, 1959). Several species can share the same physical space by occupying distinct niches and will inevitably interact with one another. From these observations, Hutchinson later formulated the concept of ecological niche as a multidimensional hypervolume and distinguished between the fundamental niche (the full range of conditions that a species can theoretically occupy) and the realized niche (which is constrained by interspecific competition). His work showed that even a small pond could be used to develop general ecological theories. However, his niche concept remained largely static and theoretical.
The niche concept is the subject of a 2024 review by Singh et al., which explores three key pathways that affect fitness: niche choice, niche conformance and niche construction. This modern perspective goes beyond Hutchinson’s traditional niche concept and underscores the importance of adaptive plasticity to thrive in the environment. Organisms can actively select specific environmental conditions (niche choice), adjust their phenotype to match new conditions (niche conformance) and even modify their environment (niche construction). These processes are not mutually exclusive and can occur simultaneously. The authors also highlight how variability in niche breadth among individuals can be critical to understanding the ability of a species to cope with changes and how human-induced habitat changes can lead to maladaptation. This perspective has profound implications for conservation, and moves beyond Hutchinson’s focus on explaining the mechanisms that underlie biodiversity. We should look to understand how species react to global changes, not only at the species and population levels but also at the individual level.
