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# Species and Habitats Every species has its own unique requirements for its habitat (the place where it lives). A habitat includes both biotic (living) and abiotic (non-living) factors. Biotic factors include plants, animals, bacteria, and things derived from living things like feces. Abiotic f...

# Species and Habitats Every species has its own unique requirements for its habitat (the place where it lives). A habitat includes both biotic (living) and abiotic (non-living) factors. Biotic factors include plants, animals, bacteria, and things derived from living things like feces. Abiotic factors include water, soil type, and climate. Every species has a tolerance range for abiotic factors. If a factor is outside this range, the species population in that area will likely die out. The largest population of a species is typically found at the optimum value of the abiotic factor. # Mutations and Adaptations Mutations in the DNA of individuals within a species can cause differences. When a mutation increases the chance of survival (in a given habitat), then it is called an adaptation. Individuals with the mutation are often more successful at reproduction, leading to more individuals with the mutation in future generations. This process is a basic driver of evolution by natural selection. # Niches A niche describes a species' complex interactions with its environment. A species' role, function, and job within an ecosystem can also be described as its niche. Species can reduce competition with others by occupying different niches within the same ecosystem. # Image Description A graph displays a bell-shaped curve representing the tolerance range for a species to a certain factor (likely pH or temperature). The curve shows the relationship between the number of organisms and the factor's value. The central peak represents the optimum range where the largest number of organisms thrives. There are smaller, flanking areas that represent marginal niches, and areas with no organisms represent areas where the species is not found or cannot survive. The graph is labeled with terms such as “optimal range”, “marginal niche”, “zone of physiological stress”, and “zone of intolerance”. Butterflies are depicted throughout the graph to visually represent the species.