Organismsbetween

Organismsbetween is a term used in theoretical ecology to describe organisms that occupy intermediate positions between clearly defined biological categories, such as producers and consumers, or specialist and generalist niches. It is not a formal taxon, but a descriptive concept used to discuss trophic flexibility and network connectivity.

The term combines 'organisms' and 'between' to signal transitional roles across ecological boundaries. It is applied descriptively to species that perform multiple functions or traverse habitats, rather than indicating a distinct lineage.

In practice, organismsbetween may refer to species with intermediate trophic positions (omnivores, detritivores) or to those that connect communities across environmental gradients (habitat generalists, migratory species). In food webs they often show relatively high centrality, linking producers, consumers, and decomposers.

Examples include omnivorous mammals that eat plants and animals, detritivores that shuttle energy from litter to higher trophic levels, and soil organisms that bridge microbial and macrofaunal food chains.

Methods for identifying organismsbetween include stable isotope analysis and network metrics such as centrality. The concept remains informal and overlaps with generalist, opportunist, and ecosystem-engineer categories, which can limit precision.

See also generalist species; omnivory; detritivores; food-web analysis; ecological networks.