The following sections of this BookRags Literature Study Guide is offprint from Gale's For Students Series: Presenting Analysis, Context, and Criticism on Commonly Studied Works: Introduction, Author Biography, Plot Summary, Characters, Themes, Style, Historical Context, Critical Overview, Criticism and Critical Essays, Media Adaptations, Topics for Further Study, Compare & Contrast, What Do I Read Next?, For Further Study, and Sources.
(c)1998-2002; (c)2002 by Gale. Gale is an imprint of The Gale Group, Inc., a division of Thomson Learning, Inc. Gale and Design and Thomson Learning are trademarks used herein under license.
The following sections, if they exist, are offprint from Beacham's Encyclopedia of Popular Fiction: "Social Concerns", "Thematic Overview", "Techniques", "Literary Precedents", "Key Questions", "Related Titles", "Adaptations", "Related Web Sites". (c)1994-2005, by Walton Beacham.
The following sections, if they exist, are offprint from Beacham's Guide to Literature for Young Adults: "About the Author", "Overview", "Setting", "Literary Qualities", "Social Sensitivity", "Topics for Discussion", "Ideas for Reports and Papers". (c)1994-2005, by Walton Beacham.
All other sections in this Literature Study Guide are owned and copyrighted by BookRags, Inc.
Competitive exclusion is the interaction between two or more species that compete for a resource that is in limited supply. It is n ecological principle involving competitors with similar requirements for habitat or resources; they utilize a similar niche. The result of the competition is that one or more of the species is ultimately eliminated by the species that is most efficient at utilizing the limiting resource, a driving force of evolution. The competitive exclusion principle or "Gause's principle" states that where resources are limiting, two or more species that have the same requirements for the limiting resources cannot co-exist. The coexisting species must therefore adopt strategies that allow resources to be partitioned so that the competing species utilize the resources differently in different parts of the habitat, at different times, or in different parts of the life cycle.