Question

Eagles and grizzly bears live together in the same habitat. There will be competition between the eagles and the grizzly bears only if which of the following is true?

A) Grizzly bears hibernate during the winter while eagles remain active.
B) Pesticides in the fish population affect eagles' eggs and decrease their population.
C) Both grizzly bears and eagles feed on the same species of salmon.
D) Laws prevent humans from being able to hunt eagles or grizzly bears.

Answer 1

Eagles and grizzly bears will compete for resources only if they both feed on the same species of salmon, which would lead to direct competition for this shared food source.

Step-by-step explanation:

Eagles and grizzly bears will only compete if C) Both grizzly bears and eagles feed on the same species of salmon. Competition between species occurs when they both seek the same limited resources within their habitat. In the case of eagles and grizzly bears, this competition would arise if they share a food source, such as a specific species of salmon they both prey on.

This direct competition for food would lead to one species potentially out-competing the other for the resource, leading to possible declines in the population that has less success in acquiring the food. Option C describes this scenario, where the two predators have overlapping diets, directly leading to competition. Other options, such as grizzly bears hibernating during the winter (A), pesticide effects on eagle populations (B), and hunting laws (D) do not directly lead to competition between these two species. It's the shared reliance on salmon as a food source that creates the potential for competition.