What is the term for a species' role in an ecosystem?

The term for a species' role in an ecosystem is "niche." A niche encompasses the various ways a species interacts with both its biotic and abiotic environments. This includes how it obtains food, how it contributes to energy and nutrient cycles, its habitat preferences, and its relationships with other organisms, such as predators, prey, and competitors.

The concept of niche highlights that two species cannot occupy the same niche in the same environment for an extended period, a principle known as competitive exclusion. This term is crucial in ecology, as it helps clarify how individual species fit within the ecological community and how they contribute to ecosystem dynamics and biodiversity.

In contrast, habitat refers specifically to the natural environment where an organism lives. A biome is a larger ecological category that groups together similar ecosystems, characterized by particular climates and types of organisms. Population pertains to a group of individuals of the same species living in a particular area. These terms capture different aspects of ecology but do not define the specific functional role of a species within an ecosystem, which is why the concept of niche is the most accurate answer.