Interspecific Competition Lecture Flashcards

Flashcards covering the definitions and key concepts of interspecific competition, niche theory, and mathematical models of species interaction.

Competition

The "struggle for existence" that Darwin identified as the major force behind species divergence and specialization; it results in a negative effect for both parties ($-,-$).

Interspecific competition

A form of competition involving more than one species that can influence survival and reproduction.

Exploitation

A form of interspecific competition that occurs when species indirectly interact with one another but affect the availability of shared resources.

Interference

A form of interspecific competition that results when species directly interact and prevent others from occupying a habitat or accessing resources within it.

$\alpha$ (Alpha)

The mathematical variable in Lotka-Volterra equations representing the competitive effects on Species 1 by Species 2.

$\beta$ (Beta)

The mathematical variable in Lotka-Volterra equations representing the competitive effects on Species 2 by Species 1.

Lotka-Volterra Equation

A mathematical description of the relationship between two species using the same resource, utilizing variables like $N$, $K$, $\alpha$, and $\beta$.

Competitive Exclusion Principle (Gause’s Law)

The rule stating that "complete competitors" cannot coexist; if one species increases faster than the other, the slower species will become locally extinct.

Complete competitors

Two species that live in the same place and have exactly the same ecological requirements.

Fundamental niche

The full range of conditions and resources under which a species can survive and reproduce.

Realized niche

The portion of the fundamental niche that a species actually exploits in the wild, often smaller than the fundamental niche due to competition.

Resource partitioning

The process where similar species coexist by dividing available resources through specific physiological, morphological, or behavioral adaptations.

Character displacement

A shift in a niche involving a morphology, behavior, or physiology character (such as beak size in finches) as a result of interspecific competition.