Intraspecific Competition
This type of competition occurs between organisms belonging to the same species as they compete for resources within a population or ecosystem. Types of intraspecific competition include:
- Scramble Competition: In this type of competition, organisms within the same species fight for resources by exploiting them simultaneously, which leads to a decrease in resource availability for all organisms in the ecosystem. In scramble competition, due to limited resource access, decreased growth, reproduction, or survivability are observed within the population.
- Contest Competition: This type of competition involves direct competitions or contests between organisms within the same species for resources, habitat, mates, etc. thus leading to hierarchy and, dominance within populations.
Competitive Exclusion Principle
Competitive Exclusion Principle, also known as Gause’s law, states that two species that compete for the same resource cannot coexist; over time, one species may outcompete the other, leading to the elimination of the inferior species. In ecology, there are two types of competition: Intraspecies and Interspecies competition. Competition is a vital stage in the sequence of ecological succession. It can benefit the broader ecosystem by promoting biodiversity through niche partitioning.
This article discusses the significance of the competitive exclusion principle and the types of competition that exist in nature, competition-minimizing strategies that species use to efficiently enhance the biodiversity of their ecosystem.
Table of Content
- Competitive Exclusion Principle
- Example of Competitive Exclusion Principle
- Types of Competitions in Competitive Exclusion
- Intraspecific Competition
- Strategies Helpful in Minimizing Competition