Practice question

Exploitative competition occurs through depletion of a shared limiting resource. Individuals need not meet or attack one another: consumption of food, water, nutrients, light, or space by one population lowers availability and consequently reduces the performance of another. Competition is defined by a negative effect of each participant on the other, but the pathway matters. Exploitation is mediated by depletion of a shared resource, interference involves direct prevention or harm, and apparent competition is an indirect interaction mediated by a shared enemy. These mechanisms make different predictions about density dependence and management: adding resources can relax exploitation, removing barriers can alter interference, and controlling a predator can change apparent competition between prey. In this context, the keyed term, Resources are depleted indirectly, identifies the relevant mechanism or quantitative relationship and links the observed pattern to its underlying ecological cause. The distinction is testable by measuring changes in organisms, resources, or process rates through time rather than relying on the label alone.