Question

a scientist observed two species of birds in a wetland: • species a eats small insects in tall grasses. • species b eats small insects in the muddy shoreline. • when more tall grasses grow, species a increases while species b stays the same. • when the shoreline expands, species b increases, but species a remains the same. based on the data, do these two species compete with each other, or do they coexist? how can you tell?

Explanation:

Competition occurs when species share a resource. Here, Species A and B eat the same insects but in different habitats (tall grasses vs. muddy shoreline). When one habitat expands, only the corresponding species increases, meaning they don’t limit each other’s growth. So they coexist.

Answer:

These two species coexist. We can tell because they use different habitats (tall grasses for Species A, muddy shoreline for Species B) to find the same food (small insects). When one habitat (e.g., tall grasses) grows, only Species A increases, and when the other habitat (shoreline) expands, only Species B increases—showing they do not compete for resources.