The principle of competitive exclusion suggests that species with identical niches cannot coexist, but it is not always clear how dissimilar two coexisting species must be. In this lab we will explore whether a relatively minor difference in resource use can allow two species to coexist even when one is competitively superior to the other. This lab represents a brief foray into the concept of optimal foraging , which posits that natural selection favors the evolution of foraging strategies that maximizes the benefits of foraging and minimizes the costs of foraging. Furthermore, the optimal foraging strategy for a given species will depend on the particular attributes of the species, its various potential food items, and its potential competitors and predators, all within the context of a particular set of environmental conditions. In this lab you will play the role of consumer as either an intense, competitively superior species, or a mellow, competitively inferior species.
Competitive dominance does come at a cost, because the intense species has a high metabolic rate.
Intense and mellow species have very similar resource requirements. As the game continues, the average patch declines in resource concentration, but patches that accidentally escape use retain their richness. First, obtain a cup from your instructor, and bring it back to your desk. At this time return your patch to the instructor, who will give you a different, randomly chosen patch. Keep in mind as well that it is to your advantage to fill your gut in less than the maximum alloted time due to metabolic costs.