Resource Partitioning Would Be Most Likely to Occur Between

Question

Resource partitioning would be most likely to occur between
A)sympatric populations of a predator and its prey.
B)sympatric populations of species with similar ecological niches.
C)sympatric populations of a flowering plant and its specialized insect pollinator.
D)allopatric populations of the same animal species.
E)allopatric populations of species with similar ecological niches.

Accepted Answer

Resource partitioning occurs when species with overlapping ecological niches evolve characteristics or behaviors that allow them to use different resources and reduce competition. This is most likely to occur between sympatric populations of species with similar ecological niches, as they are directly competing for the same resources in the same geographic location. In the other options, either the species do not have overlapping niches (such as allopatric populations) or there is a more specialized relationship (such as the flowering plant and its pollinator) that may not result in direct competition.