Resource partitioning

Resource Partitioning is a subdivision of resources and was developed to explain the evolution of animal species into a particular niche within an ecosystem. Today the term can be used to explain the behaviour of animals as well as their evolutionary development.

Resource partitioning in an ecosystem

Because the competitive exclusion principle states that no two organisms can occupy the same niche simultaneously, resource partitioning refers to the process in which these species with similar resource needs evolve and change their behaviour to eventually use a separate set of resources.

For example, seven Anolis lizards in tropical rainforest share common food needs — mainly insects. They avoid competition by occupying different sections of the rainforest. Some live on the leaf litter floor while others live on shady branches, thereby avoiding competition over food in those sections of the forest. Similar to niche partitioning.

All resources are subject to partitioning, for example; space, food, nesting sites, that minimizes competition between similar species.

External links

• More information on resource partitioning
• http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=1890851&dopt=Abstract Extract, Walter GH.

Department of Entomology, University of Queensland, Australia.