1. I made a big deal about my opinion that competition is a driving force in the

Question

1. I made a big deal about my opinion that competition is a driving force in the creation of new species. I also noted that because competition can represent such a strong selection pressure, we should not be surprised that when we examine the ecology of many existing species we don’t see current evidence of competition. The argument here is that competition led to rapid evolution until competition was no longer a major selection force. On the other hand, the notion that competition is so strong a force of selection that we rarely see it in the current life history of a species may be true for many animals, but it clearly is not true for plants. Competition within and between species seems to be a constant reality for most plant species. So, you see where this question is heading, right? Why do we so commonly see active competition among plant species but so uncommonly among animal species?

Explanation / Answer

Interspecific competition can affect the population size of species 1 when competing with species 2 and vice versa. B)Species specialize in their diet. Just because 2 species live in the same habitat doesn't mean they are competing. They could be utilizing different resources, they could even be utilizing different parts of the same resources (ex: one species eats leaves while the other species eats fruit of same plant).

Organisms compete for the resources they need to survive- air, water, food, and space. In areas where these are sufficient, organisms live in comfortable co-existence, and in areas where resources are abundant, the ecosystem boasts high species richness (diversity). The more generalist an organism is, the better chances it has to co-exist with its conspecifics (other members of the same species) and other taxa. Animals and plants that have specific life history requirements, like cavity-nesting birds, plants with ph-specific soil requisites, or animals with obligate feeding behaviors, have a more difficult time competing. These resources can be limiting factors for where organisms are distributed, and competition for them can be fierce.

Mostly different animals requireents are different so we are seeing less competetion in animal species.

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