According to the principle of competitive exclusion, what outcome is expected when two species with identical niches compete for a resource? Why?

Short Answer

Expert verified

Since two species with identical niches cannot live continuously in the same area, one species will be extinct locally. This happens because one species consumes resources more effectively and reproduces more quickly than the other.

Step by step solution

01

Ecological niche

An organism's ecological niche is the set of biotic and abiotic resources it exploits in its environment.A niche refers to a place with live organisms and all the materials necessary for life to continue.

Competition between two species is analyzed by comparing their ecological niches.

02

Competition

When various species compete for a resource that restricts each species' survival and reproduction, this species interaction is known as competition. For example, weeds in a garden fight for soil nutrients and water with garden plants.

In this type of interaction, both the species are lost as both cannot get sufficient resources.

03

Competitive exclusion

If two species occupy the same niche, they cannot coexist based on the competitive exclusion principle.It occurs when even a slight reproductive advantage causes the weaker rival to be eliminated locally.

Thus, two species competing for limited resources cannot live in the same place for a long period. As a result of natural selection, two species with overlapping niches may develop more distinct niches, resulting in resource partitioning.

Unlock Step-by-Step Solutions & Ace Your Exams!

  • Full Textbook Solutions

    Get detailed explanations and key concepts

  • Unlimited Al creation

    Al flashcards, explanations, exams and more...

  • Ads-free access

    To over 500 millions flashcards

  • Money-back guarantee

    We refund you if you fail your exam.

Over 30 million students worldwide already upgrade their learning with Vaia!

One App. One Place for Learning.

All the tools & learning materials you need for study success - in one app.

Get started for free

Most popular questions from this chapter

Rising atmospheric CO2 levels lead to ocean acidification (see Figure 3.12) and higher ocean temperatures, both of which can reduce krill abundance. Predict how a drop in krill abundance might affect other organisms in the food web shown in Figure 54.15. Which organisms are particularly at risk? Explain.

What two components contribute to species diversity? Explain how two communities with the same number of species can differ in species diversity.

An ecologist studying desert plants performed the following experiment. She staked out two identical plots, containing sagebrush plants and small annual wildflowers. She found the same five wildflower species in roughly equal numbers on both plots. She then enclosed one plot with a fence to keep out kangaroo rats, the most common grain-eaters of the area. After two years, four of the wildflower species were no longer present in the fenced plot, but one species had become much more abundant. The control plot had not changed in species diversity. Using the principles of community ecology, propose a hypothesis to explain her results. What additional evidence would support your hypothesis?

Predators that are keystone species can maintain species diversity in a community if they

(A) competitively exclude other predators.

(B) prey on the community’s dominant species.

(C) reduce the number of disruptions in the community.

(D) prey only on the least abundant species in the community.

The most plausible hypothesis to explain why species richness is higher in tropical than in temperate regions is that

(A) tropical communities are younger.

(B) tropical regions generally have more available water and higher levels of solar radiation.

(C) higher temperatures cause more rapid speciation.

(D) diversity increases as evapotranspiration decrease.

See all solutions

Recommended explanations on Biology Textbooks

View all explanations

What do you think about this solution?

We value your feedback to improve our textbook solutions.

Study anywhere. Anytime. Across all devices.

Sign-up for free