Abstract
The competitive ranking of three marine sessile organisms was determined from overgrowth observations and found to be intrasitive. Overgrowth results were dependent upon relative vertical relief which, in turn, was related to colony area. Discriminant function analysis demonstrates that competitive rankings can be largely predicted on the basis of knowledge of the size-frequency distribution of interacting populations. Because size increases with age for these species, size-dependent competition implies age-dependent competition. The role of age structure in determining the results of inter-specific interactions has been curiously neglected, particularly as it relates to competitive ability, yet the age dependence of competitive ability suggests (i) the occurrence of intransitivity in purely exploitative systems, (ii) a mechanism for frequency-dependent behavior, (iii) the production of limit cycles, and (iv) the possibility of size refugia.
Keywords: age structure, bryozoa, coralline alga, frequency dependence, overgrowth
Full text
PDF
Selected References
These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.
- Ayala F. J. Competition between Species: Frequency Dependence. Science. 1971 Feb 26;171(3973):820–824. doi: 10.1126/science.171.3973.820. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Ayala F. J., Gilpin M. E., Ehrenfeld J. G. Competition between species: theoretical models and experimental tests. Theor Popul Biol. 1973 Sep;4(3):331–356. doi: 10.1016/0040-5809(73)90014-2. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Connell J. H. Diversity in tropical rain forests and coral reefs. Science. 1978 Mar 24;199(4335):1302–1310. doi: 10.1126/science.199.4335.1302. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Cuatico W., Richardson N. K. Transcutaneous therapeutic canalization of aqueductal stenosis in a hydrocephalic; case report and technical note. Acta Neurochir (Wien) 1979;47(3-4):181–186. doi: 10.1007/BF01406403. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Jackson J. B., Buss L. Alleopathy and spatial competition among coral reef invertebrates. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1975 Dec;72(12):5160–5163. doi: 10.1073/pnas.72.12.5160. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Stearns S. C. Life-history tactics: a review of the ideas. Q Rev Biol. 1976 Mar;51(1):3–47. doi: 10.1086/409052. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]