Article
Article
Ecological competition
Article By:
Marino, Paul C. Department of Biology, College of Charleston, Charleston, South Carolina.
Last reviewed:July 2020
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1036/1097-8542.757554
The interaction of at least two organisms or species such that, for each, the birth or growth rates are depressed and the death rate increased by the presence of the other organisms or species. Ecological competition is the conflict that arises between two or more organisms or species for identical environmental resources. This competition is recognized as one of the more important forces structuring ecological communities, and interest in competition led to one of the first axioms of modern ecology, that is, the competitive exclusion principle. The principle suggests that, in situations where the growth and reproduction of two species are resource-limited, only one species can survive per resource (see illustration). See also: Ecological communities; Ecology; Environment; Speciation
The content above is only an excerpt.
About AccessScience
AccessScience provides the most accurate and trustworthy scientific information available.
Recognized as an award-winning gateway to scientific knowledge, AccessScience is an amazing online resource that contains high-quality reference material written specifically for students. Contributors include more than 10,000 highly qualified scientists and 46 Nobel Prize winners.
MORE THAN 8700 articles covering all major scientific disciplines and encompassing the McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of Science & Technology and McGraw-Hill Yearbook of Science & Technology
115,000-PLUS definitions from the McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific and Technical Terms
3000 biographies of notable scientific figures
MORE THAN 19,000 downloadable images and animations illustrating key topics
ENGAGING VIDEOS highlighting the life and work of award-winning scientists
SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER STUDY and additional readings to guide students to deeper understanding and research
LINKS TO CITABLE LITERATURE help students expand their knowledge using primary sources of information
