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Competition is one biological factor which influences the distribution of a species. Discuss

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Overall, competition is one biological factor which influences the distribution of a species.
This is mainly because of its effects on food and space. The availability of these resources affects:
a) The number of individuals of a particular species in a habitat;
b) The number of species which can co-exist;
c) The geographical range of a species, given that the ability of a species to expand this range depends upon its capability to find unexploited resources or to displace those already in existence.
Competition levels differ, between plants and" animals. Most animals compete for food, but some also compete for territorial space, nest building sites or burrows. Plants compete mainly for space for rooting and in terms of access to light.
The effect of competition on species distribution is evidenced when a new species is so successful-in competition for resources with an established one to the extent that the latter is eliminated. This phenomenon is called competitive displacement. On other level, the established species may be too strong to allow establishment of the arrival species, a phenomenon called competitive exclusion. The following two examples serve to illustrate these two levels of competition.
(i) The European Starling Stumus vulgaris was introduced into New York in the 1891. It has since then expanded to all urban centres in the USA displacing the bluebird Sialia sialis and the yellow-shafted flicker. The two birds species compete mainly for nesting sites, which include tree holes and man-made holes.
(ii) When South and North Americas got joined in the Pliocene period, about 2 million years ago (MYA) following the Isthmus of Panama, there was an exchange of species between the two regions. The consequence was the elimination of species in South America by those in the north. Invading large faunas from warm conditions in South America proved unsuccessful to competitors in the North American region.

francis1897 answered the question on February 27, 2023 at 13:09

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Competition is one biological factor which influences the distribution of a species. Discuss

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