The changes at the top of the food web have rippled through the rest of the ecosystem. Among the great white’s favourite prey were Cape and Brown fur seals. In the great white’s absence other species, including sevengills and bronze whaler sharks, appear to be moving in to fill its niche. But seal populations are rising. That, in turn, is making life hard for African penguins, an endangered species which the seals like to eat. Since other marine species are much harder to monitor, other changes are likely going unnoticed.
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Let me give you a hint: The text is about the natural habitat of different species. If one species disappears from an ecosystem for one reason or another other animals or plants move in to fill the void created by the species that left. Does that help?
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the meaning of “niche” is : a job or position that is very suitable for someone, especially one that they like
I think I am kind of understand the passage. it means below:
Due to the absence of the great white’s, evengills and bronze whaler sharks would consume the great white’s favourite prey, which are Cape and Brown fur seals. but the seal population are still rising.
So is it like the evengills and bronze whaler sharks are doing the great white’s job? so they use word “niche” here?
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As is the case with most words in English ‘niche’ has many different meanings depending on the context it’s used in. Here it means "a role taken by a particular type of organism within its community or ecosystem.
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