Competition
All living organisms compete with one another, for resources in their environment.
What resources are these animals competing for?
(mouseover for answers!)
[Click for slightly larger picture as a separate page]
Similarly, plants also compete for resources.
What do you think these plants are competing for?
(mouseover for answers!)
[Click for slightly larger picture as a separate page]
Summary
The resources that animals mainly compete for are food, water, space to
live and breed in (including access to food and water), and for access
to mates.
Plants also compete for water and living space (including access to
light, and minerals in soil), and sometimes for the attention of
certain animals for pollination and occasionally other animals for seed
dispersal.
Competition is more noticeable in the case of animals than in plants, but it still exists nevertheless. You just don't see them fighting or hear them driving others away!
Different species compete with one another for similar resources, but
usually not exactly the same ones as each species seems to be
specialised for slightly different aspects of their general
environment. Competition between members of different species is called inter-species competition.
Different members of the same species often seem to compete for the
same resources, because they share the same requirements and are also
equipped with similar bodies. Competition between different members of the same species is called intra-species competition.
This is responsible for a lot of territorial behaviour and also
for behaviour modifications which enable organisms to
exist together reasonably harmoniously.
Some thoughts
Animals all need oxygen (so do plants).
Plants need carbon dioxide for photosynthesis.
Can you think of a way in which animals compete for oxygen?
Can you think of a way in which plants compete for carbon dioxide?
Nor can I !
Any ideas why ?
Probably because they are gases, and hard to monopolise.
Picture credits
You might even want to send me some better photos from your holidays!
Wildebeest and Zebra
http://url.co.nz/african_trip/stories.php?story_id=13
zebra and oryx
http://www.kenya.com/safari_info.asp?safari_id=26
elephant seals
http://www.perlgurl.org/
king penguin colony
http://www.travelpod.com/travel-photo/slowloris/52_deg_south/1137384000/dsc_0049.jpg/tpod.html
treeferns
http://152.98.240.26/Documents/Plant/pricklytreefern.htm
cacti
http://www.ontheroadin.com/baja/thebaja.htm
suburban trees in Sydney
http://www.clovermoore.com/main/?id=4
redJewelPlant
http://www.wholeo.net/Trips/Travel/Florida/srb/local/pitcherPlants.html
bee
http://picturepost.wordpress.com/
bat
http://www.beekeeping.com/articles/us/pictures/birds_bees_bats_2.jpg
monkey eating fruit
check out the list of fruits!
http://www.monkeymatters.com/visiting_costa_rican_monkeys.htm
Goosegrass burr
http://www.gpmatthews.nildram.co.uk/microscopes/wild_plants.html
