What is the difference between competitive exclusion and resource partitioning

Competitive exclusion occurs because only one species can be the superior competitor for a single limiting resource. In an environment in which several species are competing for a single resource, the superior competitor eventually will extirpate the others. If two species have identical niches, those species will compete with one another.

Over time, one species will be more successful than the other. If enough time passes and the competition is not severe enough, one species may evolve to have a slightly different niche. It is the lowest level of organization, which includes both unicellular and multicellular organisms.

What are the major levels of organization, from smallest to largest, that ecologists commonly study? The 6 different levels of organization that ecologists commonly study are species, population, community, ecosystem, and biome. Begin typing your search term above and press enter to search. Press ESC to cancel. Skip to content Home Social studies How does resource partitioning occur?

Social studies. Ben Davis May 15, How does resource partitioning occur? By examining how and why resources are allocated in a particular niche, scientists can better understand the complex ecological interactions between and in species. Common examples of resource partitioning include the Anole lizards and a number of bird species.

The original concept of resource partitioning refers to the evolutionary adaptations in species as a response to the evolutionary pressure from interspecific competition. The more common basic biological usage is based on the different uses of resources by species in a particular niche and not on the specific evolutionary origin of such differences.

This article explores the latter convention. When organisms compete for limited resources, there are two primary types of competition: intraspecific and interspecific. As the prefixes denote, intraspecific competition refers to competition for limited resources by individual organisms of the same species, while interspecific competition refers to the competition for limited resources by individuals of different species.

When species compete for the exact same resources, one species typically has the advantage over another, even if only slightly so. The complete competition maxim states that complete competitors cannot coexist. The species with the advantage will persist in the long term.

The weaker species will either become extinct or will transition to occupying a different ecological niche. One way that species can partition resources is by living in different areas of a habitat versus their competitors. One common example is the distribution of lizards in the Caribbean islands. The lizards mostly eat the same types of food—insects. However, they can live in different microhabitats within the context of their larger habitat.

For example, some lizards can live on the forest floor while others may live higher up in the habitat in trees. This differentiation and partitioning of resources based on their physical location allows the different species to coexist more effectively with one another.

Additionally, species can more effectively coexist based on food partitioning. For example, among species of lemur monkeys, food may be discriminated by the chemical characteristics of the food. Food partitioning based on plant chemistry can play an important role.

This allows different species to coexist while eating similar yet chemically different foods. Similarly, species may have an affinity for different parts of the same food. For example, one species may prefer a different part of the plant than another species, allowing them to effectively coexist.

Furthermore, competitive exclusion does not support the co-existence of two species competing for identical resources, while resource partitioning helps the species to coexist since it creates less direct competition between them. Thus, this is another difference between competitive exclusion and resource partitioning. Eventually, the dominant species out-competes the weaker species for the resources, and the weaker species may face extinction or use of different niches over a long time.

Moreover, over a long time, these species can evolve and divide the resources to avoid interspecies competition. They tend to use different resources or occupy a different area of the habitat or feed during a different time of day. So, this is called resource partitioning. So, in summary, this is the difference between competitive exclusion and resource partitioning.

Samanthi Udayangani holds a B. Degree in Plant Science, M. Your email address will not be published. Figure Competitive Exclusion.