Competition

Depending on certain variables, it can be stable or exclusive

Competition can happen between any species for any limiting resource

• More competition if the two species have a more similar niche

Nitrogen example

• the more nutrients go into a system, the less diverse it is. It may have higher biomass, but lower biodiversity
• For example, in high-nitrogen environments, certain grasses will outcompete the others so there are overall less species. This is because certain fast-growing species will grow taller and shade out the smaller species
• In an experiment with growing grassland plants in an experimental chamber where adding light below the grassland canopy (which will allow the smaller species to grow as well), this increases species richness and biomass

Lotka-Volterra Model

• For Competition, the lotka-volterra model can show how a balance of carrying capacity and influence of one species on another can either result in an equilibrium or one species extirpating the other.

Bromeliad pond example

• Two species with very different niches are more likely to coexist in the same pond than two species with similar niches.