What is the difference between inter and intraspecific competition

There are two other types of interspecific competition based on the outcome. Intraspecific competition is the competition among members of the same species for limited resources in the same ecological area. It depends on the density of the population and the influence of this type of competition is high in a highly-dense population. More importantly, it is one of the main driving forces for evolution since it changes the population dynamics such as population size and composition.

Here, only the individuals that are most suitable to the environment can survive. Same as interspecific competition, intraspecific competition can also be subdivided into the exploitative competition, interference competition, scramble competition, and contest competition. Exploitative competition occurs when the members compete indirectly while interference competition occurs when the members compete directly.

There are two different types of competition:. Interspecific competition often leads to extinction. The species that is less well adapted may get fewer of the resources that both species need. As a result, members of that species are less likely to survive, and the species may go extinct. Instead of extinction, interspecific competition may lead to greater specialization. Specialization occurs when competing species evolve different adaptations. For example, they may evolve adaptations that allow them to use different food sources.

Interspecific competition is the competition for food, habitat and other needs between two or more species of organisms. Thus, many species involved in interspecific competition. This type of competition is known as direct competition. That is, the two species fight directly to fulfil their requirements over the other species. In direct competition, one species aims in the destruction of the other species by direct killing or attack.

Thus, some plants secrete harmful chemicals, which could kill the growth of other species of plants. The second aspect of interspecific competition is the indirect method that involves exploitation. In this regard, one species will exploit and destroy all the available resources, so that it will not be available for the other species.

In this manner, the resources are eliminated which indirectly causes the removal of one particular species over the other species. A species is a group of organisms with similar characteristics which are able to reproduce to produce offspring of the same species. Thus, intraspecific competition is the phenomenon where organisms of the same species compete with each other for their needs. Intraspecific competition can take place directly or indirectly.

Scarcity leads to competition not only between species, but within species as well. Interspecific competition occurs between species, while intraspecific competition occurs between individuals within the same species.

The prefix intra- means within, while inter- means between. If you break the two terms down, "intraspecific" just means within a species, while "interspecific" means between them. Consequently, interspecific competition is all about competition between two or more species, while intraspecific competition involves different individuals of the same species. Remembering the prefixes is an easier way to remember what the two words mean, especially since both prefixes are very common in scientific terminology.

Competition happens when not enough of a given resource is available to go around. That resource could be one of many things. Trees in a forest, for example, need access to light; by growing tall they ensure their own access but deny it to others.