Competing for resources
Competition keeps populations in check.
Many plants, one patch
Many plants of the same kind grow close together. They all need sunlight, water and space.
What do they do?
What this lesson covers
The idea
Organisms compete for common resources such as food, water, space and sunlight; this competition controls population size and keeps the ecosystem balanced, preventing one species from multiplying too much.
Many plants, one patch
Many plants of the same kind grow close together. They all need sunlight, water and space.
What do they do?
- Compete for the common resources
- Share them equally for ever
- Stop needing them
Competition
Press Next step.
Competition helps balance
Besides feeding relationships, organisms compete for common resources like food, water, physical space or sunlight. This competition helps control population size and keeps the ecosystem balanced.
Organisms compete for food, water, space and sunlight. Competition controls population size and keeps the ecosystem balanced. Without it one species could multiply too much.
Notes
Competition for common resources keeps populations in check.
Check yourself
Organisms compete for …
Competition helps to control …
Without competition, one species could …
Competition keeps the ecosystem …
- only the Moon. They compete for resources such as food, water, space and sunlight.
- food, water, space and sunlight — correct. Yes!
- nothing. They compete for common resources.
- the colour of the sky. Competition controls population size.
- the speed of the wind. Competition controls population size.
- population size — correct. Yes!
- multiply too much — correct. Yes!
- vanish at once. Without competition one species could multiply too much.
- become a producer. One species could multiply too much, causing imbalance.
- empty. Competition keeps the ecosystem balanced.
- balanced — correct. Yes!
- fixed for ever. The balance is dynamic.