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Competition

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When organisms require the same limited resources within an environment, they may have to compete for them. Competition is a net-negative interaction. Even if two competing individuals or populations do not interact directly, the overall fitness of both competitors is lowered as a result of not having full access to the limited resource.
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Population size is dynamic, increasing with birth rates and immigration, and decreasing with death rates and emigration. In ideal conditions with unlimited resources, populations can increase exponentially, which plots as a J-shaped growth rate curve of population size against time. This type of curve is characteristic of newly-introduced invasive species, or populations that have suffered catastrophic declines and are rebounding.
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Ecological succession is influenced by the processes of facilitation, inhibition, and toleration. Facilitation occurs when early successional species create more favorable ecological conditions for subsequent species, such as enhanced nutrient, water, or light availability. In contrast, inhibition happens when early successional species create unfavorable ecological conditions for potential successive species, such as limiting resource availability. In some cases, later successional species...
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An ecological disturbance is a temporary disruption in the environment resulting from abiotic, biotic, or anthropogenic factors, causing a pronounced change in an ecosystem. The impact of an ecological disturbance, which can depend on its intensity, frequency, and spatial distribution, plays a significant role in shaping the species diversity within the ecosystem.
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A shift from exploitation to interference competition with increasing density affects population and community

Erica M Holdridge1, Catalina Cuellar-Gempeler2, Casey P terHorst3

  • 1Department of Biology California State University, Northridge 18111 Nordhoff Street Northridge California 91330; Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology Yale University 165 Prospect Street New Haven Connecticut 06511.

Ecology and Evolution
|August 24, 2016
PubMed
Summary

As protozoa population density increases, competition shifts from exploitative to interference. This shift impacts resource dependence and community dynamics, affecting trophic interactions and natural selection.

Keywords:
Bacteriadensity dependencefrequency‐dependent selectionintraspecific competitionmicrocosmprotozoa

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Area of Science:

  • Ecology
  • Population Dynamics
  • Community Ecology

Background:

  • Intraspecific competition is a key driver of population and community dynamics.
  • Competition occurs through exploitative (resource depletion) and interference (access obstruction) mechanisms.
  • The relative importance of these mechanisms may vary with population density.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate how interference competition strength changes with protozoa population density.
  • To determine the relationship between resource availability and competitive mechanisms.
  • To assess the impact of these shifts on bacterial prey community structure.

Main Methods:

  • Experimental microcosms of protozoa and bacteria were established under varying protozoan densities and resource levels.
  • Population growth rates were measured.
  • A dynamic predator-prey model was used to estimate functional response parameters.

Main Results:

  • Competition shifted from exploitative to interference as protozoa density increased.
  • Interference competition was less dependent on resource availability.
  • Resource availability had a weaker effect on population growth at high densities.

Conclusions:

  • The mechanism of intraspecific competition shifts with population density, impacting ecological dynamics.
  • This density-dependent shift influences trophic interactions and community structure.
  • Findings have implications for understanding interspecific competition, diversity, and natural selection.