Question

Inspite of interspecific competition in nature, which mechanism the competing species might have evolved for their survival?

• A. Predation
• B. Competitive release
• C. Mutualism
• D. Resource partitioning

Answer 1

The correct option is D Resource partitioning

Population interaction refers to the interaction between different populations in a community. It indicates the effects that organisms in a community have on one another.
Competition, predation and mutualism are types of population interactions.

Competition is the type of population interaction that occurs among populations that depend on the same limited resource. Thus, it adversely affects both the partners involved.
Interspecific competition involves competition between two different species.
The competing species may evolve mechanisms that promote co-existence. Resource partitioning is one such mechanism. For example, when two species are competing for the same resource, they could avoid competition by choosing, for instance, different times for feeding or different foraging patterns. For example, MacArthur showed that five closely related species of warblers which lived on the same tree could avoid competition and co-exist due to behavioural differences in their foraging activities.

Competitive release is a phenomenon where a species whose distribution is restricted to a small geographical area because of the presence of a competitively superior species, is found to expand its distributional range dramatically when the competing species is experimentally removed. For example, Connell’s experiments showed that on the rocky sea coasts of Scotland, the larger and competitively superior barnacle Balanus dominates the intertidal area, and excludes the smaller barnacle Chthamalus from that zone.

Predation is a type of population interaction where one organism known as the predator kills and feeds on another organism known as the prey. This type of interaction benefits one of the two interacting species. For example, tiger kills and feeds on the deer.

Mutualism is a type of population interaction which benefits both the interacting species. For example, in mycorrhizae which are associations between fungi and the roots of higher plants, the fungi help the plant in the absorption of essential nutrients while the plant provides the fungi with energy-yielding carbohydrates in return.