Final answer:
Species coexist using the same limiting resources due to environmental variation, periodic disturbances, and adaptations like character displacement. These factors reduce direct competition and allow for multiple species to find suitable living conditions within the same ecosystem.
Step-by-step explanation:
The coexistence of species that use the same set of limiting resources can be attributed to various mechanisms. One explanation for their coexistence is environmental variation, where different conditions across space and time allow multiple species to find their own optimal habitats. Periodic disturbances, such as fires or storms, can also maintain species diversity by periodically resetting the competitive dynamics and allowing less dominant species to persist or even thrive. Moreover, environmental changes such as periodic fire can shape ecosystems, promoting the coexistence of species by creating a mosaic of different habitats and successional stages.
Other factors that enable different species to coexist include the variation of traits among individuals, intensive competition for resources, and the fact that more offspring are typically produced than can survive. In some cases, species adapt to minimize competition through character displacement, where they evolve differences in resource use or behaviors. This reduces direct competition and allows for the coexistence of species within shared habitats.