Answer: Two closely related species competing for identical limited resources cannot coexist indefinitely.
- A Two species can generally coexist indefinitely as long as they compete with roughly equal intensity
- B Two closely related species competing for identical limited resources cannot coexist indefinitely
- C Interspecific competition generally benefits both competing species roughly equally over time
- D Predation sometimes inevitably drives the prey species toward eventual total extinction
Correct answer: B. Two closely related species competing for identical limited resources cannot coexist indefinitely
Explanation: Gause's principle states that when two species compete for exactly the same limited resources, one will eventually outcompete and exclude the other from that habitat.
Exponential growth produces an ever-steepening J-curve with no limit, an unrealistic long-term model; logistic growth produces an S-curve that levels off at the carrying capacity K, as growth rate (K−N)/K shrinks to zero once resources are fully used.
Concept context
How organisms interact with abiotic factors and respond to stress, plus population attributes, growth models, and interspecific interactions such as predation, competition, and mutualism.