In the hypothesis that C. stellatus a species of barnacle) is competitively excluded from the lower intertidal zone by B. balanoides another species of barnacle), what could be concluded about the two species?
A) The fundamental and realized niches of B. balanoides are identical, but the fundamental and realized niches of C. stellatus are different.
B) The fundamental and realized niches of B. balanoides and C. stellatus are both identical.
C) The fundamental and realized niches of B. balanoides and C. stellatus are both different.
D) The fundamental and realized niches of B. balanoides are different, but the fundamental and realized niches of C. stellatus are identical.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

If C. stellatus is competitively excluded from the lower intertidal zone, it suggests that B. balanoides is a superior competitor for resources in that zone. Therefore, the fundamental niche (the complete range of environmental conditions and resources that a species can exploit) of B. balanoides likely overlaps with the realized niche (the actual range of environmental conditions and resources that a species occupies) of C. stellatus. However, C. stellatus may still have a different fundamental niche that includes other environmental conditions and resources that are not present in the lower intertidal zone, which could explain why it is not present there despite not being directly prevented from occupying it by any physical or chemical factors.

In the Hypothesis That C