Interspecific competition

Interspecific competition is competition for resources ( competition) between individuals of different species. The interspecific competition is one of key factors influencing the population dynamics. It acts as a selection factor and thus causes evolution.

Competition is a form of antagonistic relations between different individuals. It is based on the use (also: Exploitation ) resources. This also allows individuals to each other in competition, which never meet directly, such as when they use the same food. But often preclude individuals of one type to those of the other type actively access to the respective resource, this is referred to as interference. Competition between species is usually asymmetric, ie the impact on a ( competitive inferior ) kind are much stronger than those on the other ( competitive superior ). There is then a tendency that the losing kind (or with symmetrical competition: both types ) evades the competition. For example, it may acquire morphological adaptations by which they can exploit a different food spectrum as the competitor. This process is known as ecological niches, it means that overlap less strongly the ecological niches of competing species. With competition for an essential and non-substitutable resource of the superior competitor can displace the inferior from the common living space, this is called competitive exclusion.

Competition between individuals of the same species is called intraspecific competition.

The scientific description of interspecific competition biologists often use systems of ordinary differential equations.

For example, a competitive relationship between the two types will be described in the form:

Here are the variables X, Y and the growth constants a, b busy as usual, and c, d represent interaction terms

An important form of interspecific competition is the competition for food: various species prefer the same food or prey.