A form of interference competition in which individuals of one species release toxins that directly harm individuals of other species.
character displacement
A process in which competition causes the forms of competing species to evolve to become more different over time, thereby causing species to become more different where they live together than where they live apart.
competition
An interaction between two species in which individuals of both species are harmed when both species use a resource that limits their ability to grow and reproduce.
competition coefficient
A constant used in the Lotka–Volterra competition model to describe the effect of one competing species on the other.
competitive exclusion principle
The principle that two species that use a limiting resource in the same way cannot coexist indefinitely.
exploitation competition
An interaction in which species compete indirectly through their mutual effects on the availability of a shared resource. Compare interference competition.
fugitive species
A species whose persistence depends on its being able to disperse from one place to another as environmental conditions change.
interference competition
An interaction in which species compete directly by performing antagonistic actions that interfere with the ability of their competitors to use a resource that both require, such as food or space. Compare exploitation competition.
interspecific competition
Competition between members of different species. Compare intraspecific competition.
intraspecific competition
Competition between individuals of a single species. Compare interspecific competition.
Lotka–Volterra competition model
A modified form of the logistic equation used to model competition (see Equation 11.1).
physical factor
A feature of the environment that affects organism function and population growth rates but is not consumed or depleted. Compare resource.
resource
A feature of the environment that is required for growth, survival, or reproduction and which can be consumed or otherwise used to the point of depletion. Compare physical factor.
resource partitioning
The use of limiting resources by different species in a community in different ways.
zero population growth isoclines
Lines derived from the Lotka–Volterra competition model marking the variables at which population does not increase or decrease in size.
