Ecosystems - Competiton

Ecosystems - Competiton

Competition for Resources

Organisms with similar needs tend to compete for resources. All plants, for example, require sunlight. The tallest trees in a rain forest create a canopy that blocks the sun. Therefore, plants below must compete for the limited light passing through the leaves of taller trees.

Some plants have adaptations that help them gather light. They compete effectively and build a stable population size. Liana vines, for example, may grow as long as 915 m to reach sunlight available at the rain forest canopy

Competition

The interactions that occur between organisms when they both seek the same resource in an ecosystem are called competition. Each organism or population gets less of the resource than it would if there were no competitors. For example, in dry environments, many types of organisms compete for limited water resources.

Multiple Choice

When multiple organisms seek the same resource in an ecosystem it is called...

• Compensation

• Computers

• Competition

• Winning

Multiple Choice

Which is a limited resource in the ecosystem, therefore, creates competition for the animals?

• Air

• Sand

• Water

Open Ended

Name one example of competition you can think of in an ecosystem (food, space, etc.).