Question

In Yellowstone’s prairie ecosystem, bison and elk compete for the same food resources. Imagine there are 150 bison and 15 elk in the park this year. The bison carrying capacity is 200 bison, while the elk carrying capacity is 100 elk. One elk consumes the same amount of resources as 0.25 bison. Assume the bison are “competitor 1” and the elk are “competitor 2”. Over time, will these species be able to coexist or will one species be driven to extinction? What is the value of alpha and beta?

Answer 1