118k views
1 vote
The competition coefficient of one species towards itself is, by definition,?

1) zero
2) 1/2
3) 1
4) -1

User Rehab
by
8.2k points

1 Answer

0 votes

Final answer:

The competition coefficient of one species towards itself is defined as 1, indicating each individual impacts others of the same species equally in population models.

Step-by-step explanation:

The competition coefficient of one species towards itself is, by definition, 1. This coefficient is used in models of interspecific competition, such as the Lotka-Volterra equations, to understand how different species in the same environment interact with one another. In the context of intraspecific competition, where a species competes with itself for resources, the competition coefficient reflects the impact an individual has on another individual of the same species.

A coefficient of 1 indicates that each individual has the same impact on others as it does on itself. Therefore, in models of population dynamics, the intraspecific competition coefficient is set to 1 to illustrate that an individual of a species has an equivalent impact on its own population's growth as another individual.

User Ben Manes
by
7.8k points