Intraspecific Competition

Edexcel A-level BiologyThe Nature of EcosystemsLesson 26 of 39

Intraspecific competition is competition between individuals of the same species. It is usually the most intense form of competition, because members of the same species have exactly the same needs: the same food, the same nest sites and the same mates.

Its effect on population size follows a pattern:
1. When a population is small, resources are plentiful, so most individuals survive and breed and the population grows.
2. As the population grows, each individual gets fewer resources.
3. Some individuals fail to get enough, so the death rate rises and the birth rate falls.

More in The Nature of Ecosystems

• Case Study: Red Grouse and Parasites
• Density Dependent Factors
• Density Independent Factors
• Competition
• Interspecific Competition
• Species Abundance
• Species Distribution
• Ecological Techniques

All 39 lessons in The Nature of Ecosystems · All Edexcel A-level Biology topics