Question

Identify and explain the type of ecological interaction where Paramecium caudatum got eliminated when grown with Paramecium aurelia based on Gause’s principle.

Hint:

If two species can coexist while using the same resource, it's called "Resource Partitioning." Gause's principle only applies when resources are limited.

Answer 1

Step 1: Recall Gause’s principle.
Gause’s principle, also called the Competitive Exclusion Principle, states that two species competing for the same limited resources cannot coexist indefinitely in the same habitat. One species will outcompete and eventually eliminate the other.

Step 2: Apply the principle to the given example.
When Paramecium caudatum and Paramecium aurelia were grown together in the same culture, both species competed for the same food and space. Since their ecological requirements were very similar, intense competition occurred.

Step 3: Identify the ecological interaction.
The interaction observed here is interspecific competition, where individuals of different species compete for the same limited resources.

Step 4: Explain the outcome.
In this case, Paramecium aurelia was more efficient in utilizing the available resources. As a result, it outcompeted Paramecium caudatum, leading to the elimination of P. caudatum from the culture.

Final Answer:
The ecological interaction is interspecific competition. According to Gause’s Competitive Exclusion Principle, when two species compete for the same resources, the better competitor (Paramecium aurelia) survives while the other (Paramecium caudatum) gets eliminated.