Furthermore, it seems that authors most critical of the concept vacant niche really are critical of the view that niche space is largely empty and can easily absorb additional species.
Examples of these opportunities include filling a vacant niche after a mass extinction event when it has fewer competitors or predators, or taking advantage of a newly available resource.
Once this process is initiated, it will launch an explosion of replicating entities until all available resources are used and all vacant niches are taken.
Since vacant niches into which new species can be absorbed are available at all latitudes, the consequence is accumulation of more species at low latitudes.