Correct Response: A. An ecological niche is essentially the place and role occupied by an organism within an ecosystem. In this illustration, the plants on the forest floor flower early in the spring before the trees' leaves can shade them, avoiding competition. B is incorrect because the two species are sharing a resource (sunlight) by using it at different times of the year. The two species do not have a mutualistic relationship (C) because they do not interact with one another. D is incorrect because both species rely on the same, not different, resources within the ecosystem.
