Question Detail
Question
'Competitive exclusion' refers to
Correct Answer
Option B is the correct answer.
Detailed Explanation
The competitive exclusion principle (Gause's principle) states that two species competing for the same limiting resource cannot coexist indefinitely. The outcome is that one species is excluded (vanishes) from the habitat due to competitive inferiority. Option A is too vague; option C describes extinction or extirpation of multiple species; option D describes resource partitioning (niche differentiation), which is a mechanism that allows coexistence and avoids competitive exclusion.
Hint
This principle describes the outcome when two species compete for identical resources.