Experimental Studies of Interspecies Competition II. Temperature, Humidity, and Competition in Two Species of Tribolium

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Abstract
Objective of investigation has been to examine effect of 6 physical environments on 2 spp. of flour beetles (T. confusum and T. castaneum) considered separately as single-species populations (intraspecies competition) and together as mixed-species populations (interspecies competition). Physical environment is defined by 6 factorial combinations of temp. and humidity into which 400 cultures are distr. and censused at intervals of 30 days. With 1 exception, both spp. persist indefinitely when each is husbanded only by itself. Levels and patterns of persistence respond significantly, and differentially by sp., to particular physical environments. In coassociation, when, by definition, interspecies competition is added to ecosystem, 1 sp. always wins, and the other sp; always is selectively eliminated. But elimination varies with physical environment and in some cases enforces trend seen in controls, while in other cases trend is contradicted. Findings discussed in perspective of general ecology and evolution.