Three Kinds of Niche Construction

Niche construction theory concerns how organisms can change selection pressures by altering the feature–factor relationship between themselves and their environment. These alterations are standardly understood to be brought about through two kinds of organism–environment interaction: perturbative and relocational niche construction. We argue that a reconceptualization is needed on the grounds that if a niche is understood as the feature–factor relationship, then there are three fundamental ways in which organisms can engage in niche construction: constitutive, relational, and external niche construction. We further motivate our reconceptualization by showing some examples of organismic activities that fall outside of the current categorization of niche construction, but nonetheless should be included. We end by discussing two objections to niche construction and show how our reconceptualization helps to undercut these objections.

2.  Niche Construction Theory

2.1.  The standard account of niche construction

2.2.  Two problems with the standard account of niche construction

3.  Three Kinds of Niche Construction

3.1.  Constitutive niche construction

3.2.  Relational niche construction

3.3.  External niche construction

4.  Conceptual Improvement on Niche Construction Theory

4.1.  Constitutive niche construction

4.2.  Relational niche construction

4.3.  External niche construction

5.  The Status of Niche Construction Theory within Evolutionary Theory

5.1.  Is niche construction a helpful addition to evolutionary theory?

5.2.  Is niche construction an evolutionary process?

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