Think of the town where you live. People in your
community have jobs that make it a nice place
to live. There are doctors that keep you healthy,
teachers that help you learn, and people that
make food for you to eat.

Animals, plants, and other organisms also have
jobs and roles to play where they live. This role is
called a niche. An animal’s niche includes such
things as where and how the animal gathers
food and its link in a food chain.

Within ecosystems, every living thing has
important jobs and roles. If one of these
organisms is missing, the ecosystem will be
unhealthy. At times, it may be hard to see the
special role of an animal. What about skunks?
They just seem like stinky animals that cause
problems. Even the smelly skunk has a role in
nature. Skunks eat more insects than anything
else. They really love to eat grasshoppers, beetles
and moth larvae. Skunks eat insects that like to
munch on farmer’s crops. Skunks help farmers
by eating crop pests. The small bit of soil and
plants they dig up looking for food is a small price
to pay for all the insects they eat.

What’s your niche? Do you have an important job
or role to play in your family, work, or school? You
are no doubt like the skunk. No matter what good
you do in the world, people just think you stink.