The competitive exclusion principle is a concept in ecology that states:
- Each species occupying a niche will compete with other species in the same niche.
This principle suggests that when two species compete for the same limited resources within an ecosystem, one species will eventually outcompete the other, leading to the elimination or significant reduction of the weaker species. The more efficient species in utilizing resources will have a competitive advantage, ultimately excluding the less efficient species from that particular niche.
For example, imagine two species of birds that feed on the same type of seeds in a forest. If one of the bird species is better at finding and consuming the seeds, it will have a higher chance of survival and reproduction, gradually outcompeting the other species until it is no longer able to persist in that specific niche. This illustrates how the competitive exclusion principle operates in natural ecosystems.
