Competition — Science definition
Two organisms needing the same limited resource, so each does worse than it would alone; the evidence is a comparison, since nothing visible happens between them.
Where it is taught
- Interactions & Ecosystem Change — Ecological Evidence & Environmental Design, Life Science & Scientific Inquiry, Grade 7
In use
Competition is two organisms needing the same limited resource, so both do worse than either would alone.
Interactions & Ecosystem Change
Questions using competition
Problem 1
Does sharing a habitat alone prove competition?
Answer and explanation
No. Resource overlap and limitation, or effects on performance, need evidence.
Problem 2
Which identifies competition most directly?
- Shared use of a limiting resource
- Any two different colors
- Every insect landing
- Any pair of graph axes
Answer and explanation
Shared use of a limiting resource
Competition concerns limiting-resource overlap and its effects.