What has to be true about avaliable resources for competition to exist

Question

What has to be true about available resources for competition to exist? What is Predation?

Answer 1

Hi Nicole,

1. Competition happens when two or more organisms need the same resource (like food, water, shelter, or mates).
2. For competition to exist:
3. The resource must be limited (not enough for everyone).
4. More than one organism must want or need that same resource.

Example: If two lions hunt zebras in the same area, but zebras are scarce, the lions compete. If there are unlimited zebras, then no competition.

2. What is Predation?

1. Predation is when one organism (the predator) kills and eats another organism (the prey).
2. This is different from competition because instead of fighting for the same resource, the predator directly uses the prey as food.

Example: A hawk catching and eating a mouse.