Two species of buttercup are found in the same field in South Dakota, but they emerge at different times: One species emerges and flowers in early spring, and the other species does not emerge until late summer, after the first species has set seed. This is an example of
A) resource partitioning.
B) intraspecific competition.
C) habitat fragmentation.
D) niche fragmentation.
E) niche realignment.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

This is an example of resource partitioning, where two species divide a resource based on differences in their behavior or morphology, in this case, the timing of their emergence and flowering, to reduce competition.

Two Species of Buttercup Are Found in the Same Field