he graph above shows the population growth curves of Paramecium aurelia and Paramecium caudatum cultures after they were mixed together. This graph can be used to illustrate the principle of
competitive exclusion.
Competitive exclusion is a principle in ecology that states when two species compete for the same limited resources in an environment, the species that is more efficient at using those resources will eventually outcompete and eliminate the other species. In the graph above, we can see that initially both Paramecium aurelia and Paramecium caudatum populations increase when mixed together. However, as time goes on, the population of Paramecium aurelia increases exponentially while the population of Paramecium caudatum declines and eventually becomes extinct. This is because Paramecium aurelia is more efficient at utilizing the available resources in the environment, leading to the competitive exclusion of Paramecium caudatum.