Defining Competition
Defining competition in ecology occurs when two populations consume the same limited resource population, creating an indirect effect where each population reduces the resource available to the other. In Amplify Science (California) Grade 7, Chapter 3: Indirect Effects in Ecosystems, students learn that competition is a type of indirect interaction between species that do not directly eat each other.
Key Concepts
Competition occurs when two populations consume the same limited resource population. They are fighting for the same supply of Energy Storage Molecules .
Even if they don't interact directly, they are linked. Competition is a type of indirect effect because the populations affect each other through the shared resource.
Common Questions
What is competition in ecology?
Competition occurs when two or more populations need the same limited resource. They indirectly affect each other by consuming the shared resource—the more one population eats, the less is available for the other.
How is competition an indirect effect?
Competition is indirect because the competing populations don't directly interact. They are linked through the shared resource. If one population grows, it reduces the resource, which then negatively affects the competing population.
What is an example of competition in an ecosystem?
Two different fish species that both eat the same type of zooplankton are in competition. Neither eats the other, but both depend on the same limited food source, so their populations affect each other through that shared resource.
Where is competition as an indirect effect covered in Amplify Science Grade 7?
Competition in ecosystems is covered in Amplify Science (California) Grade 7, Chapter 3: Indirect Effects in Ecosystems.