Question

jeremy says that predation is a form of competition because predators compete with each other for the same prey. what is the best explanation of why jeremy is wrong?

a. few small predators can compete with an ecosystems larger, apex predators.
b. improving predation and minimizing competition require different adaptations.
c. predation makes one organism a resource for another, not a shared resource.
d. predation occurs across trophic levels but competition only exists within a level.

Explanation:

• Option A: Focuses on predator - predator competition (small vs. large), not on the difference between predation and competition.
• Option B: Mentions adaptations but does not directly address the core difference between predation and competition.
• Option C: Correctly highlights the key difference. In competition, organisms vie for a shared resource (e.g., two herbivores competing for the same patch of grass). In predation, one organism (the prey) is a resource for another (the predator), and it is not a case of sharing a resource in the sense of competition.
• Option D: While it is true that predation occurs across trophic levels (e.g., a secondary consumer preying on a primary consumer) and competition can occur within a trophic level (e.g., two primary consumers competing for food), this statement does not as clearly and directly address the nature of resources in predation vs. competition as Option C does.

Answer:

C. Predation makes one organism a resource for another, not a shared resource.