Competition

Question 1

What do organisms compete for?

Answer 1

• food
• shelter
• space
• light

Question 2

What are the types of competitipn/??

Answer 2

• interspecific competition
  
  • between different species
• intraspecific competion
  
  • between members of the same species

Question 3

When does interspecific competion occur?>

Answer 3

• when two or more different organisms compete for the same resource
• results in reduction of resource available to both population
  
  • e.g. less food
    
    • less energy
    • less survival and reproduction rate
    • results in smaller populations

Question 4

How are species outcompeted?

Answer 4

• if one species is more adaped than the other species when competing for the same resource
• less adapted species is likely to be oucompeted
  
  • will decline in number until it can no longer exist in the habitate alongside the better adapted species
  • thi

Question 5

What is the competitive exclusion principle?

Answer 5

• less adapted species is likely to be oucompeted
  
  • will decline in number until it can no longer exist in the habitate alongside the better adapted species
  • his is the competitive exlusion principle
• where two species are competing for limited resources, the one that uses the resources more effectively will ultimately eliminate the other

Question 6

What happened with red and grey squirrels in the UK?

Answer 6

• grey squirells introduced in 19th century from North America
• population rapidly increased
• native red quirrel disappearing from many areas as a result

Question 7

Why are grey squirrels outcompeting red squirrels?

Answer 7

• grey squirrel can eat a wider range of food and the red squirrel and as it is larger it can store more fat
• increases chances of survival and therefore its ability to reproduce, thus increasing its population
• reduces food supply for red squirrel
  
  • affecting ability to survive and reproduce

Question 8

How is population size determined by intraspecific competiion?

Answer 8

• greater the availability of the resource competed for, the larger the population that can be supported
• represents fluctuation in number of organisms

Question 9

What are shown in each of the stages?

Answer 9

• stage 1
  
  • resource is plentiful in habitat
    
    • e.g. food/space
  • organisms have enough of resource to survive and reproduce
• stage 2
  
  • as a result of the increased populations, many more individuals that share the food or space available
  • resources are limited
  • not enough for all organisms to survive
  • populations decrease
• stage 3
  
  • less competition exists as smaller population means less organisms are competing for the same resources
  • more organisms survive and reproduces, resulting in grownth
• cycle of events repreat