Two laughing gulls are fighting over a sandwich left on the beach by a swimmer. This is an example of ______.
A. between competition
B. intraspecific competition
C. reproductive competition
D. interspecific competition
D. interspecific competition
Freshwater native mussels are a keystone species. They keep the harmful bacteria and algae populations from exploding in addition to improving water quality through filtering. A different species of mussels has invaded this river ecosystem. Reviewing the graph above, how has the presence of the invasive mussels affected the population of native mussels?
A. Due to interspecific competition, the population of native mussels has decreased.
B. Due to intraspecific competition, the population of native mussels has increased.
C. Due to interspecific competition, the population of native mussels has increased.
D. Due to intraspecific competition, the population of native mussels has decreased.
C. Due to interspecific competition, the population of native mussels has increased.
To determine the correct answer, we need to understand the different types of competition that occur within a species (intraspecific competition) or between different species (interspecific competition).
In this scenario, we have laughing gulls fighting over a sandwich. Since laughing gulls belong to the same species, this is an example of intraspecific competition.
Therefore, the correct answer is B. intraspecific competition.