Ecological Niches and Interactions

What happens when different species compete for the same limited resources in an environment?

• They always learn to share equally.

• The resources become unlimited.

• The resources become limiting factors, affecting population growth.

• They stop needing those resources.

What does the Competitive Exclusion Principle state about two species that require the exact same resources?

• They will always coexist peacefully.

• One species will eventually outcompete and eliminate the other.

• They will evolve to use different resources.

• Their populations will grow indefinitely.

What is an ecological niche?

• A specific type of habitat where an organism lives.

• The sum of all biotic and abiotic resources a species uses in its environment.

• The role an organism plays in its food web.

• The physical space an organism occupies.

What is the difference between a fundamental niche and a realized niche?

• A fundamental niche is the actual role a species plays, while a realized niche is its ideal role.

• A fundamental niche is the ideal role a species could play without competition, while a realized niche is its actual role due to competition.

• A fundamental niche refers to abiotic factors, while a realized niche refers to biotic factors.

• A fundamental niche is for plants, and a realized niche is for animals.

What ecological principle suggests that two species cannot occupy the exact same niche in the same habitat indefinitely?

• Natural Selection

• Competitive Exclusion Principle

• Resource Partitioning

• Character Displacement

How did different species of warblers manage to live in the same coniferous forests without competing too much?

• They all ate the same food but at different times of the day.

• Each species specialized in foraging and nesting in different parts of the trees.

• They migrated to different forests during breeding season.

• Only the strongest species survived, eliminating others.

On the Galapagos Islands, when a new species of larger finches arrived and started eating the big, nutritious seeds, what change was observed in the beaks of the smaller, native finches?

• Their beaks grew larger to compete for the big seeds.

• Their beaks remained unchanged.

• Their beaks shrunk, allowing them to specialize in eating smaller seeds.

• Their beaks became sharper for hunting insects.

Barnacles often attach themselves to whales, getting a free ride to new feeding grounds. The whales are generally not affected by the barnacles. What type of interspecies relationship is this?

• Mutualism

• Obligate Mutualism

• Commensalism

• Predation