Two species eat the same prey, which is a limiting resource, and both their populations remain stable.Species A is removed, and the population of species B begins to increase rapidly.This suggests that the two species are _______ and the interaction is _______.
A) predator and prey; positive
B) predator and prey; negative
C) competitors; positive
D) competitors; negative
E) competitors; neutral

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The fact that both populations remained stable when they shared the same limiting resource suggests that they are competitors. The increase in species B's population after the removal of species A suggests that species A was a competitor and was limiting the population of species B. This interaction is negative because the removal of one competitor allowed the other to thrive.

Two Species Eat the Same Prey, Which Is a Limiting