Interspecific Competition Flashcards

Flashcards covering key vocabulary and concepts related to interspecific competition.

Interspecific Competition

Competition between two or more species.

Interspecific Competition Involves

Divergence and specialization in species due to competition.

Exploitation Competition

Competition involving the consumption of a shared resource.

Interference Competition

Direct interaction or conflict between species.

Territorial Competition

Behavioral exclusion of others; seen in sarcastic fringeheads.

Preemption Competition

Occupation by one species precludes establishment by others, especially with sessile species.

Overgrowth Competition

One species grows over another, commonly seen with sessile species.

Chemical Interaction Competition

Release of toxins or growth inhibitors; allelopathy.

Competition Coefficients

Quantifies the per capita effect of species 2 on species 1 (α) and vice versa (β).

Zero-Growth Isocline

Values of population size for species 1 (N1) and species 2 (N2) at which dN/dt = 0.

Competitive Exclusion Principle

Complete competitors cannot coexist.

Complete Competitors

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

Nonresource Factors in Competition

Nonresource factors influencing competition include gradients of nutrients, water, oxygen, and salinity.

Resource Partitioning

How species coexist by using different resources.

Ghosts of Competition Past

Resource partitioning as a product of coevolution between competitors.

Ecological Character Displacement

Enhanced differences result from evolutionary shifts.