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Interspecific competition, in ecology, is a form of competition in which individuals of different species compete for the same resources in an ecosystem (e.g. food or living space). This can be contrasted with mutualism , a type of symbiosis .
Competition among members of the same species is known as intraspecific competition, while competition between individuals of different species is known as interspecific competition. According to the competitive exclusion principle , species less suited to compete for resources must either adapt or die out , although competitive exclusion is ...
Competition is often for a resource such as food, water, or territory in limited supply, or for access to females for reproduction. [18] Competition among members of the same species is known as intraspecific competition , while competition between individuals of different species is known as interspecific competition .
The best-known example is the so-called "paradox of the plankton". [6] All plankton species live on a very limited number of resources, primarily solar energy and minerals dissolved in the water. According to the competitive exclusion principle, only a small number of plankton species should be able to coexist on these resources.
A bear with a salmon. Interspecific interactions such as predation are a key aspect of community ecology.. In ecology, a community is a group or association of populations of two or more different species occupying the same geographical area at the same time, also known as a biocoenosis, biotic community, biological community, ecological community, or life assemblage.
Equalizing mechanisms affect interspecific competition (the competition between individuals of different species). For example, when multiple species compete for the same resource, competitive ability is determined by the minimum level of resources a species needs to maintain itself (known as an R*, or equilibrium resource density). [2]
Interspecific competition, when individuals of different species compete for the same resource in an ecosystem; Interspecific feeding, when adults of one species feed the young of another species; Interspecific hybridization, when two species within the same genus generate offspring. Offspring may develop into adults but may be sterile.
Barker (1983), [68] in his review of competition in Drosophila and related genera, which are among the best known animal groups, concluded that the idea of niche segregation by interspecific competition is attractive, but that no study has yet been able to show a mechanism responsible for segregation. Without specific evidence, the possibility ...