Question

Classify the interactions as being direct or indirect competition. A. Two eagles fight over a salmon carcass. B. All the gray foxes in a habitat prey primarily on penguins. C. Two colonies of black ants clash over a wasp. D. Gray squirrels in an area rely on nuts for food.

Answer 1

A. direct B. indirect C. direct D. indirect

Competition occurs by direct and indirect means. Organisms interact directly by fighting (aggression) for scarce resources. Two eagles fighting over the salmon carcass and two colonies of ant clashing over a wasp are samples of aggression (direct competition)

Indirect competition happens when there is a common or limited supply of at least one resource  (food, water, and territory). Use of this resource lessens and later depletes the amount available to others, or they compete for space. Gray foxes preying on penguins and squirrels relying on nuts for food are samples of indirect competition.