NICHE

in architecture, decorative recess set into a wall for the purpose of displaying a statue, vase, font, or other object. Niches were used extensively in both interior and exterior walls by the architects of ancient Rome. A fine extant example of such use is found at the Roman Temple of Diana at Nmes, Fr. Gothic examples of the decorative recess are ubiquitous, including niches in such medieval structures as the English cathedrals of Wells and Peterborough. Later architects, especially those of the Italian Renaissance and the classic revival of 17th- and 18th-century Europe, all made use of the niche. Semicircular niches are often featured, many having shell-like fluting at the apex. in ecology, the smallest unit of a habitat that is occupied by an organism. Habitat niche refers to the physical space occupied by the organism; ecological niche refers to the role it plays in the community of organisms found in the habitat. The activities of an organism and its relationships to other organisms are determined by its particular structure, physiology, and behaviour. Two organisms that occupy similar niches but that are native to different geographical areas are termed ecological equivalents.