Conduct online research to learn more about competition between two species not mentioned in this lesson. Make sure to include information about their niches, common resources, and other competitors.

(Answers will vary.)

In many forest ecosystems, squirrels and chipmunks compete for acorns and some other resources. However, they don’t have the exact same niches. Squirrels nest in trees, while chipmunks live underground. These species don’t compete with each other for mates either. Thus, squirrels are in interspecific competition with chipmunks.

All squirrels in a particular ecosystem share the same niche. The same is true of all chipmunks. So, both of these species are in intraspecific competition. Competing with an individual from the same species is harder than competing with members of other species. For example, squirrels compete with other squirrels for not only food (acorns), but also shelter and mates. However, they also compete with some other species, such as deer and acorn weevils, for acorns. Furthermore, they are both prey for many of the same predators, such as hawks, raccoons, foxes, and weasels.

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