Competition Flashcards

1
Q

What is the main idea of Darwin’s statement from 1859?

A

There must be a struggle for existence due to more individuals being produced than can survive.

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2
Q

Who conducted the well-known work ‘The Struggle for Existence’?

A

G. F. Gause, a Russian microbiologist.

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3
Q

What is Gause’s principle?

A

If both competitors are limited by the same resource, they cannot coexist indefinitely.

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4
Q

What does the Competitive Exclusion Principle state?

A

A stable equilibrium between two populations cannot be achieved if they share similar ecological niches.

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5
Q

Give an example of species competition mentioned in the text.

A

The native Hawaiian short-eared owl (pueo) and the introduced barn owl.

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6
Q

What organisms did Gause experiment with?

A

Paramecium caudatum and P. aurelia.

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7
Q

What was the outcome of Gause’s experiment with P. caudatum and P. aurelia?

A

P. caudatum perished with a fixed amount of bacteria present.

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8
Q

In Gause’s experiments, why did P. caudatum coexist with P. bursaria?

A

Because P. bursaria only fed at the bottom of the test tube.

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9
Q

What are the four possible outcomes of interspecific competition between two species?

A
  • Species 1 wins
  • Species 2 wins
  • Competition can go either way
  • Coexistence
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10
Q

What does the Lotka-Volterra model of interspecific competition extend?

A

It extends the logistic equation to include effects of a second species on K.

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11
Q

What do the competitive coefficients α and β represent in the Lotka-Volterra model?

A
  • α: competitive impact per individual of species 2 on species 1
  • β: impact of species 1 on species 2
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12
Q

What happens when α or β is less than 1?

A

Intraspecific competition is greater than interspecific competition.

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13
Q

What is the significance of zero population growth isoclines in competition?

A

They are used to examine outcomes of competition.

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14
Q

What did Tilman study in his competition studies?

A

Two diatom species requiring silica.

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15
Q

What was the outcome of Tilman’s experiment with Synedra and Asterionella?

A

Synedra reduced silicon availability, excluding Asterionella.

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16
Q

What are the assumptions of competitive exclusion?

A
  • Competitors have exactly the same resource requirements
  • Environmental conditions remain constant
17
Q

Why are the assumptions of competitive exclusion problematic?

A

They do not account for variability in resource requirements and environmental conditions.

18
Q

What does Gause’s principle suggest about co-existing species?

A

There should be selective pressure on them to ‘learn to share’ resources.

19
Q

What is resource partitioning?

A

The process where co-existing species reduce interspecific competition by sharing resources.

20
Q

How do plants partition soil resources?

A

By varying root morphology.

21
Q

Give an example of three species that partition resources in prairie soil.

A
  • Bristly foxtail: shallow roots
  • Indian mallow: intermediate roots
  • Smartweed: deep taproot
22
Q

What is usually observed along an environmental gradient?

A

Realized niches.

23
Q

Why is competition considered complex?

A

It rarely involves simple two-way interactions between two species limited by a single resource.

24
Q

What types of species interactions are mentioned regarding invasive species?

A
  • Competition for prey: mongoose, barn owl, and cats
  • Nest predation: mongoose, barn owl, cats, rats, and pigs
25
Q

What is a significant impact of invasive species on native species?

A

Several species compete and predate on the native pueo.