Question

Which of the following is Gause's 'Competitive Exclusion Principle'?

• A. Two closely related species competing for the same resources can co-exist indefinitely.
• B. Two closely related species competing for the same resources cannot co-exist indefinitely and the competitively superior one will be eliminated eventually.
• C. Two different species competing for the same resources cannot co-exist indefinitely
• D. Two closely related species competing for the same resources cannot co-exist indefinitely and the competitively inferior one will be eliminated eventually.

Answer 1

Answer: (D)

Ecologist Gause's stated in his 'Competitive Exclusion Principle' that two closely related species cannot co- exist indefinitely if they are competing for the same resources and this would result into elimination of inferior one. But this statement is true only when there are limited resources and not otherwise. Gause and other ecologist have also demonstrated in a laboratory that in a condition of limited resources; superior species eliminates the other species.