Question: 133 Given below are two statements :
Statement I : Gause’s ‘Competitive Exclusion Principle’ states that two closely related species competing for the same resources cannot co-exist indefinitely and competitively inferior one will be eliminated eventually.
Statement II : In general, carnivores are more adversely affected by competition than herbivores.
In the light of the above statements, choose the correct answer from the options given below :
(1) Statement I is correct but Statement II is false.
(2) Statement I is incorrect but Statement II is true.
(3) Both Statement I and Statement II are true.
(4) Both Statement I and Statement II are false.
Answer: Option (1)
Explanation:
Gause’s Competitive Exclusion Principle states that two species competing for the same limited resources cannot coexist indefinitely and that the inferior competitor will eventually be eliminated.
Therefore, Statement I is correct.
Herbivores generally face stronger competition than carnivores because they often share similar food resources, while carnivores usually have wider feeding strategies and territorial adaptations.
Hence, the statement that carnivores are more adversely affected by competition than herbivores is incorrect.
Thus, Statement II is false.
Therefore, the correct answer is Option (1).