Question

niches

• describe how organisms match specific __________ and respond to distribution of resources and competitors
• can be influenced by:
• competition with other species
• predation
• __________
• mutualism

Explanation:

For the first blank, in the context of ecological niches, organisms match specific environmental conditions (such as temperature, humidity, pH, etc.). For the second blank (the missing influence on niches), a common factor is symbiosis (or more specifically, commensalism could also fit, but symbiosis is a broader term that encompasses relationships like mutualism, and commensalism is another type of species interaction that influences niches; alternatively, "resource availability" could be considered, but species interactions are more in line with the other listed factors like competition, predation, mutualism). A very typical missing factor here (to complete the list of species - interaction - based influences) is commensalism or parasitism (parasitism is a type of species interaction where one organism benefits at the expense of another, and it influences the niche of both the parasite and the host). Another common one is resource partitioning but that's more about how species use resources. Given the context of species interactions (competition, predation, mutualism), a likely answer for the second blank is parasitism (or commensalism). For the first blank, the standard term is "environmental conditions" or "habitats" (but "environmental conditions" is more precise as it includes abiotic factors too).

Answer:

First blank: environmental conditions; Second blank: parasitism (or commensalism, or other appropriate species - interaction - related terms like "resource availability" but species interaction terms are more consistent with the list)