Question

If two species are close competitors, and one species is experimentally removed from the community, the remaining species would be expected to _____.

a. expand its realized niche
b. change its fundamental niche
c. a decline in abundance
d. become the target of specialized parasites

Answer 1

a. expand its realized niche

Step-by-step explanation:

This is according to the law of competitive exclusion principle where two species cannot occupy the same environment as one will always out compete the other.

In the context of this question, the experimentally removed specie is assumed to be the dominant specie that can out compete the recessive specie. Hence, removing the dominant specie experimentally create opportunity for the recessive specie to expand its realized niche.