Question

The downy woodpecker and the hairy woodpecker are two species that live in the same habitats. The downy woodpecker is slightly smaller and has a smaller beak than the hairy woodpecker. The downy woodpecker uses its bill to search for food on small twigs and branches while the hairy woodpecker is most often observed searching for food on tree trunks. Explain how the competitive exclusion principle relates to this example.

a. Both woodpeckers have identical bill structure, but do not access their food from the same places in the habitat. They do not directly compete with one another for food and thus, can coexist in the same habitat.
b. Both live in the same habitat and have some similarities, but access their food from the same places in the habitat. In this way, the two species can coexist in the same habitat.
c. Both woodpeckers share similarities in their bill structures. So, they directly compete with one another for food. This directly relates to competitive exclusion principle.
d. Both live in the same habitat and have some similarities, but do not access their food from the same places in the habitat. In this way, the two species can coexist in the same habitat.

Answer 1

The competitive exclusion principle explains that two species cannot coexist if they compete for exactly the same resources within the same habitat.

Step-by-step explanation:

The explanation of how the competitive exclusion principle relates to the downy woodpecker and the hairy woodpecker involves understanding how species use resources within their habitats. Choice 'd' is the correct answer. This principle states that two species cannot occupy the exact same niche in a habitat because they would directly compete for all the same resources, which is not sustainable in the long term.

In the example of the woodpeckers, the downy woodpecker has adapted to foraging on small twigs and branches, while the hairy woodpecker searches for food mostly on tree trunks. This differentiation in resource exploitation allows both species to coexist in the same habitat without directly competing for the same resources, thus avoiding the competitive exclusion outcome.

The correct option is A.