(b) Two different species can compete for the same resource. Give another example of it. [1]
(b) Two different species can compete for the same resource. Give another example of it. [1]
Any one standard NCERT example of interspecific competition:
- In the shallow South American lakes, visiting flamingoes and resident fishes compete for the same food — zooplankton.
Other acceptable examples:
- In the Galapagos Islands, the Abingdon tortoise became extinct within a decade after goats were introduced, because the goats had greater browsing efficiency and out-competed the tortoises for food.
- The abundance of the Connell's barnacle Balanus on the same rocky shore restricting Chthamalus (as in the given case).
Marking Scheme
- 11 mark: any one correct example of interspecific competition — e.g. flamingoes and fishes competing for zooplankton in South American lakes, OR goats out-competing the Abingdon tortoise in the Galapagos leading to its extinction.
Hint
Recall NCERT examples: flamingoes and fishes competing for zooplankton, or goats driving the Abingdon tortoise extinct in the Galapagos.
Quick Oral Answer
A good example of interspecific competition is flamingoes and fishes competing for zooplankton in South American lakes, or goats out-competing the Abingdon tortoise for food in the Galapagos, driving it extinct.
Analysis & Explanation
Concept:
Interspecific competition occurs when two different species use the same limited resource — food, space, light or shelter — so that the presence of one negatively affects the other.
Standard NCERT examples:
- Flamingoes vs fishes: in some shallow South American lakes both feed on the common resource, zooplankton.
- Abingdon tortoise vs goats: on the Galapagos Islands the introduced goats out-competed the tortoises for forage, driving the tortoise to extinction.
Exam trap:
- Give a genuine interspecific example (two different species over one resource) — not two individuals of the same species, which is intraspecific competition.
Real-world:
Such competition can lead to competitive exclusion, resource partitioning, or even local extinction, and is a key force shaping community structure.
Common Mistakes
- 1Giving an example of intraspecific competition (same species) instead of two different species.
- 2Naming a predator–prey or mutualism example rather than a competition example.
- 3Simply repeating the barnacle example from the diagram when the question asks for 'another' example.
Interesting Facts
The Abingdon tortoise of the Galapagos became extinct within about a decade of goats being introduced, as the goats browsed the vegetation far more efficiently.
Flamingoes and fishes in shallow South American lakes both depend on zooplankton, a textbook NCERT example of interspecific competition.
Competition does not always need a shared physical fight — it can act simply by one species depleting a common resource faster than the other.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is an example of two different species competing for the same food?
In some shallow South American lakes, visiting flamingoes and resident fishes both feed on zooplankton, so they compete for the same food resource. This is a classic NCERT example of interspecific competition.
How did competition cause the extinction of the Abingdon tortoise?
When goats were introduced to the Galapagos Islands, they browsed the vegetation much more efficiently than the Abingdon tortoise. This intense competition for the same food resource led to the extinction of the tortoise within about a decade.