The concept of competition is increasingly covered in the field of economics, but its origins nevertheless come from biology. What does this concept mean? What is the role of competition in wildlife? Read on the types and mechanisms of competition later in the article.
Different effects on organisms
No living organism exists in isolation. It is surrounded by many factors of animate and inanimate nature. Therefore, in one way or another, it constantly interacts with the environment, other organisms. First of all, the biosphere affects a living creature, its components include the lithosphere, hydrosphere, and also the atmosphere. The vital activity of plants and animals is directly related to the amount of sunlight, access to water resources, etc.
Organisms experience a significant effect from interaction with each other. This effect is called biotic factors, which manifest as the effect of living organisms on plants, which, in turn, affects the environment. In biology, they are divided into trophic (according to the nutritional relationships among organisms), topical (relative to changes in the environment), Fabry (depending on the place of residence), Foric (the possibility or impossibility of transporting one organism to another) factors.
The interaction of living organisms
In carrying out their activities, living organisms certainly affect the "personal space" of other organisms. This can occur both between representatives of one species, and different. Depending on whether the interaction is harmful to the organisms or not, they distinguish between neutral, positive and negative types of relationships.
Relations in which both organisms receive nothing are called neutralism. Mutualism is considered a positive interaction - mutually beneficial cohabitation of individuals. Allelopathy can be called a completely negative relationship when cohabitation harms both participants. This also includes intraspecific and interspecific competition.
Some relationships affect organisms in different ways. For example, with parasitism and predation, one organism survives at the expense of another or feeds on it. Under commensalism, only one participant in the relationship benefits, for the other they are neutral. Under amensalism, one organism harms another, but it itself does not receive any harm or benefit.
Competition
Important factors for the normal functioning of animals, plants, microorganisms is the environmental resource and space. With a shortage of living organisms, competition appears. This is a kind of antibiosis - an antagonistic relationship, where various individuals are forced to fight for their existence.
Rivalry in wildlife often occurs when individuals have similar needs. If the struggle occurs among individuals of the same species, this is intraspecific competition, if to different - interspecific.
Living organisms can compete openly, directly hindering the life of an opponent. For example, when the roots of some plants oppress others, or some animals drive others away from a hot place. Also, competition can be indirect. It manifests itself when an opponent more actively destroys the necessary resource.
Intraspecific competition
Examples of intraspecific struggle can be found quite often. This type of competition is observed between individuals of one or more populations. The main reason for this is the same structure of organisms, and therefore the same needs for environmental factors and food.
Intraspecific competition is tougher than interspecific. The manifestation of such a struggle can be observed in the delimitation of the territory between individuals. So, bears leave claw marks on tree trunks, warning of their presence. To separate the space, they often use smell, a loud signal scream. Sometimes individuals simply attack each other.
If competition takes place for resources, then sometimes it is asymmetric. In this case, one side suffers more than the other. As a result of intraspecific competition, one of the populations may eventually disappear or mutate.
Why is there competition?
One of the most important tasks of living organisms is to survive, while transmitting the best genetic material to offspring. In ideal conditions, an ecological vacuum, there are no obstacles for this, and therefore, there is no rivalry.
Intraspecific competition occurs under adverse environmental conditions, when organisms are forced to fight for light, water or food. Severe conditions can lead to a change in the life cycle of a species, accelerate its development. However, this is not necessary. Sometimes rivalry occurs when individuals argue for the right to dominate the herd, pack, or pride. Such behavior is observed in animals in which a social hierarchy is developed.
An important role is played by population density. Excessive growth of the population of one species over time leads to a lack of resources, which can lead to the extinction of the species. To avoid this, some species, such as rodents, even have a shock disease. The ability of animals to breed sharply decreases, but the susceptibility to various diseases increases.
The role and mechanisms of competition
Competition is an essential tool of nature. First of all, it is called upon to regulate the number of individuals. Each species has its own acceptable density values, and when there are too many individuals within the same population, controlling mechanisms are activated. To use this role, nature uses various methods: increasing mortality, dividing the territory.
In conditions of high numbers and limited space, some individuals can leave their habitat and develop another. So from one population, two different ones are distinguished. This provides a wide distribution of the species and high survival. In certain species, this process is temporary, for example, in migratory birds.
As a result of intraspecific competition, more persistent and viable individuals ultimately survive. Their physiological qualities are transmitted genetically, which means they contribute to the improvement of the species.
Examples of intraspecific and interspecific competition
Distinguishing between the two main types of competition is not always easy. Dealing with this is better visually. An example of interspecific competition is the “victory” of a gray rat over a black one. They belong to the same genus, but are different species. The gray rat is more aggressive and prevails in size, so it was able to easily squeeze the black out of human houses. But black was a frequent guest on the ships of sailors.
As a model of intraspecific competition, we can mention cannibalism, which is observed in approximately 1300 animal species. Mantis females eat males immediately after mating. The same behavior is observed in karakurt packs. Scorpions and salamanders eat part of their offspring. In many beetles, the larvae eat their cousins.
A type of internal competition is territoriality. It is observed in fish, penguins and most other birds. During the breeding season, they do not let representatives of their species into their own territory, which they carefully guard.
Plant competition
Plants, although they cannot openly attack an opponent and scare him away, also have their own methods of rivalry. They struggle mainly for light, water and free space. Under harsh conditions of existence, intraspecific competition of plants is manifested in the form of self-thinning.
This process begins with the spread of seeds and the capture of a territory by a plant. Sprouted seedlings cannot develop equally, some grow more actively, others slower. Tall trees with a spreading crown obscure other trees, taking all the solar energy to themselves, and their powerful roots block the path to nutrients. So small and weak plants dry up and die.
Competition is displayed on the appearance of plants. Representatives of one species can vary significantly, depending on the degree of their isolation from other individuals. This phenomenon can be observed in oak. Separately growing, it has a wide, spreading crown. The lower branches are strong and well developed, do not differ from the upper ones. In the forest, among other trees, the lower branches cannot receive enough light and die off. Oak acquires a narrow, elongated crown shape instead of spherical.
Conclusion
Competition is a type of relationship. It occurs between all living organisms without exception. The main objective of competition is the regulation of the density of individuals, as well as increasing their ability to survive. Often competition is due to the struggle for food, water, light or territory. It can arise as a result of a sharp shortage of one of these resources.
Rivalry usually occurs between species with similar needs. The greater the similarities in living organisms, the stronger and more aggressive the struggle. Individuals of the same or different species can compete for the resource. Intraspecific competition often occurs to establish the dominant individual, and also so that the population does not grow excessively.