Written by the Fiveable Content Team • Last updated September 2025
Verified for the 2026 exam
Verified for the 2026 exam•Written by the Fiveable Content Team • Last updated September 2025
Definition
Competition refers to the struggle between organisms for limited resources such as food, water, territory or mates.
Related terms
Intraspecific Competition: This occurs when members of the same species vie for the same resource in an ecosystem.
Interspecific Competition: This happens when individuals from different species compete for shared resources.
Competitive Exclusion Principle (Gause’s Law): This principle states that two species competing for exactly identical resources cannot coexist indefinitely.