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Explanation of Competition Among Plants - Strategies to Win Competitions. Also refer to nutrients, water, sunlight, territory, reproduction, performance, head-to-head, predatory, aggressive, growth, parasite, host, survival, Ron Kurtus, School for Champions. Copyright © Restrictions

Competition Among Plants

by Ron Kurtus (14 June 2007)

Plants seek rewards of nutrients, water, sunlight, and territory necessary for survival. If there is sufficient ingredients, the plants will compete by their performance for reproductive ability. If the plants are in proximity, there may be a limited amount of these essential ingredients, resulting in a head-to-head competition for as much of a share as possible. In some cases, parasitic plants will compete with host plants for the nutrition owned by the host.

Questions you may have include:

  • How do plants compete for reproduction efficiency?
  • How do plants compete for survival?
  • What type of competition does a parasite create?

This lesson will answer those questions. There is a mini-quiz near the end of the lesson.

Performance competition

Plants that have sufficient nutrients, water, sunlight, and territory for survival and healthy growth will compete against each other to show which ones can reproduce the best.

For example the ones with the most attractive flowers to insects will be able to be pollinated and reproduce better than those of their species with less attractive flowers. Also, competition between species can be determined by which one creates the most seeds and has the best method of dissemination.

Head-to-head competition

Plants that are close to each other may compete for nutrients, water, sunlight, and territory necessary for survival. Some plants go mainly on the offense, trying to get as much as they can. Other plants use defensive methods to stifle their opponents from getting needed nutrients.

Offense

They spread their roots to gather nutrients and water necessary for survival and growth. In the competition, there is only so much of these ingredients available, so the stronger or better competitor may be so efficient that it dow not allow the other plant enough for survival or much growth. But it is also possible that neither plant will grow much in such a competition.

Offense and defense

Another area of competition is in gathering available sunlight. Plants that grow rapidly and have big leaves may be able to gather sunlight at the expense of nearby, less aggressive plants.

Defense

Some plants use other defensive tactics to prevent opponents from competing. Some put toxins in the ground nearby, so competitors cannot get too close.

Predatory competition

There are plants that seek nutrients owned by another. Parasitic plants will compete with host plants for the host's nutrients. The parasite is on the offense, trying to take nutrients directly from the victim of the attack. The victim plant is on the defense, trying to fend off the attack and succeed in surviving.

Although this seems like a one-sided competition, if the plant is able to prevent the parasitic plant from getting its nutrients, the parasite may wither and even die. But if the host plant dies, the parasite may be in trouble and even die itself.

In this type of competition, one may survive and grow, while the other leads a weakened life.

Summary

Plants with sufficient nutrients, water, sunlight, and territory compete by their for reproductive ability. If the plants are in proximity and there is a limited amount of essential ingredients, a head-to-head competition for as much of a share as possible results. In some cases, parasitic plants will compete with host plants for the nutrition owned by the host.

Answers to Readers' Questions

Resources

The following are resources on this subject.

Websites

Competition Resources

Books

Top-rated books on Competition

Miscellaneous

Mini-quiz to check your understanding

1. What is one way a plant can win the reproductive competition?

Have better pollination than other plants in the area

Have the biggest flowers

Avoid being near weeds

2. What can be the result of competition for survival between plants?

People learn to harvest and eat the winning plants

Aggressive, intrusive plants can squeeze out slower growing plants

Many will grow beautiful flowers that attract honeybees

3. What do some plants do to defend against parasitic plants?

There is nothing they can do in that competition

Bird will eat the parasitic plant, thus saving the host plant

They can defend themselves will toxins that repel the parasites

If you got all three correct, you are on your way to becoming a Champion in Winning Competitions. If you had problems, you had better look over the material again.

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