Consumers can influence the outcome of competition between species. Herbivores can keep dominant species of plants in check so that other species can grow. N i accounts for predation as a constant rate that is subtracted. Apparent occurs when two species influence each other negatively without actually competing. This can occur when both interact with the same predator species.
Apparent competition can occur within a single trophic level.
Figure 21-15 illustrates these interactions. Apparent competition may difficult to observe in nature because the effects may be very diffuse.