Ecological Isolation

Definition

Ecological isolation occurs when species do not mate because their habitats are different (even though those habitats may be close together).

Related terms

Habitat Isolation:

A form of prezygotic barrier where two species that could interbreed do not because they occupy different habitats.

Sympatric Speciation:

The process through which new species evolve from a single ancestral species while inhabiting the same geographic region.

Niche Differentiation: The process by which competing species use the environment differently in a way that helps them to coexist.