Competition

• Intraspecific competition arises between members of the same species, whereas interspecific competition arises between members of different species.
• Intraspecific competition arises when members of the same species compete over a resource such as food, water and breeding sites. The availability of resources affects the degree of competition between individuals and therefore population size.
• Interspecific competition occurs when populations of two species are in competition for the same resources. Normally, one will have a competitive advantage over the other. If conditions remain the same, this will lead to the complete removal of one species. This is known as the competitive exclusion principle.
• The competitive exclusion principle states that where two species are competing for limited resources, the one that uses these resources more effectively will ultimately eliminate the other.