Which of the following statements regarding the ‘Competitive Exclusion Principle’ is correct?
Which of the following statements regarding the ‘Competitive Exclusion Principle’ is correct?
The correct option is D Two closely related species competing for the same resources cannot co-exist indefinitely and the competitively inferior one will be eliminated if resources are limited
Competition is a type of population interaction in which the fitness of one species is significantly lower in the presence of another species. It occurs when more than one species competes for the same resources that are limited and usually has a negative effect on both the interacting species (-, -).
The ‘Competitive Exclusion Principle’ was proposed by Georgy Guase, a Russian biologist.
It states that two closely related species competing for the same resources cannot coexist indefinitely and the competitively inferior one will be eliminated eventually.
Example - When Paramecium aurelia and Paramecium caudatum are grown individually in the lab, both species manage to thrive. But when they are grown in the same nutrient medium (habitat) with limited nutrients, P. aurelia eventually outcompetes P. caudatum for food, leading to P. caudatum's extinction.
Therefore, it may be applicable only if the resources are limited and not otherwise.
Hence, option c is correct.
Competition is a type of population interaction in which the fitness of one species is significantly lower in the presence of another species. It occurs when more than one species competes for the same resources that are limited and usually has a negative effect on both the interacting species (-, -).
The ‘Competitive Exclusion Principle’ was proposed by Georgy Guase, a Russian biologist.
It states that two closely related species competing for the same resources cannot coexist indefinitely and the competitively inferior one will be eliminated eventually.
Example - When Paramecium aurelia and Paramecium caudatum are grown individually in the lab, both species manage to thrive. But when they are grown in the same nutrient medium (habitat) with limited nutrients, P. aurelia eventually outcompetes P. caudatum for food, leading to P. caudatum's extinction.
Therefore, it may be applicable only if the resources are limited and not otherwise.
Hence, option c is correct.
