Question

Describe what happened when the paramecium populations were mixed in the same test tube. do the results support the principle of competitive exclusion? (you may need to briefly explain competitive exclusion i.e. how two species competing for the same resources cannot coexist.)

Answer 1

Both Paramecium population decrease. However, one population is drastically reduced while the other persists. This is according to the competitive exclusion principle. Two populations that share the same niche and resource will compete and this will have a negative effect on both populations. However, the population with the slightest advantage over the other will eliminate the other from the environment over time.