Interspecific competition

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Interspecific competition is a form of competition in which individuals of different species vie for the same resource in an ecosystem (e.g. food or living space).

For example, if a tree in a dense forest grows taller than surrounding trees, it is able to absorb more of the incoming sunlight. However, Less sunlight is then available for nearby trees that are shaded by the taller tree.

An example among animals could be the case of cheetahs and lions; since both species feed on the the same prey, they are negatively impacted by the presence of the other because they will have less food. Also, lions sometimes steal prey items killed by cheetahs.

Competition is only one of many interacting biotic and abiotic factors that affect community structure. Moreover, competition is not always a straightforward, direct interaction.

[edit] See also

• Intraspecific competition

[edit] Further reading

Solomon, E. P., Berg, L. R., & Martin, D. W. (2002). Biology, sixth edition. (N. Rose, Ed.). Stamford, CT: Thomson Learning.