Interspecific Competition

Flashcards focusing on vocabulary related to interspecific competition and ecological concepts.

Interspecific Competition

Competition that occurs between individuals of different species for the same resources.

Natural Selection

The process by which populations evolve due to the survival and reproduction of individuals with favorable traits.

Niche

The combination of resources and circumstances that describe how a species fits into a community of species.

Fundamental Niche

The set of circumstances in which a species theoretically can survive.

Realized Niche

The actual set of circumstances under which a species lives, including the environmental and biotic factors.

Exploitation Competition

A type of competition where individuals of one species inhibit individuals of another indirectly through shared resource consumption.

Interference Competition

A type of competition where individuals of one species inhibit individuals of another directly by preventing their access to shared resources.

Competitive Exclusion Principle

The principle that if two competing species coexist in a stable environment, they do so as a result of niche differentiation.

Character Displacement

Evolutionary changes that reduce competition between species by diverging in traits.

Ecological Release

The expansion of a species' niche when other competing species are absent.