In this topic you will learn about how living things compete against each other to meet their needs.

Competition for space affects how plants grow. Competition occurs when one organism works against another to get what it needs to live. Organisms may compete for space, water, food, or some other need. Desert plants compete for water. Rabbits compete for food. If there are too many rabbits, all of the grass will be eaten. Some of the rabbits won't survive.

Predators also compete. A predator is an animal that hunts other animals for food. Predators compete for prey. Prey are the animals that predators hunt. A hawk is a predator. A mouse is its prey. Different ecosystems support different numbers of organisms.

Competition is a struggle for survival. In order to survive, organisms find ways to avoid competing. Many different types of organisms share the same ecosystem. Each type of organism has its own niche. A niche is the job or role an organism has in an ecosystem. For example, there are many types of pigeons in the forests of New Guinea. Each type of pigeon has a different niche in the forest ecosystem. They avoid competition by living in different places and eating different foods.