Virtual lab #3 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Virtual lab #3 - Assignment Example The three slides were observed severally and the number of species counted and recorded. Paramecium caudatum reached the carrying capacity of the environment on the 10th day when grown alone. To support the claim, the species attained its highest count on that day. The species attained a maximum number of 60. After the 10th day, the species did not grow any further due to the limited resources in its environment. Infact, the species population started to diminish the following days. However, the species died off after mixing with Paramecium caudatum to share the same ecological niche. On the other hand, Paramecium aurelia reached its population capacity of the enviroment on the 8th day. On the 8th day, the species attained a maximum number of 98 organisms. When grown alone, the species recorded its highest count on this specific day. It maintained the same number count for the next days. On the other hand, it had a slightly lesser count when mixed with Paramecium caudatum. In this case, it had a muximum number on the 12th day. The differences in population growth patterns between the two species results from the way each individual species utilizes its available resources. In this case, Paramecium caudatum utilizes more resources hence resulting to a lower population count. However, Paramecium aurelia has a high population count because each individual organism utilizes lesser available resources when gown alone. According to the principle of competitive exclusion, thwo or more species competing for the same available resources cannot co-exist in the same environment keeping other factors constant. When mixed in the same test tube, Paramecium aurelia survived while Paramecium caudatum died off. In this scenaio, Paramecium aurelia had the advantage of survival and high population growth rate. As demonstrated in this experiment, no two species can occupy the same ecological niche keeping other factors constant. As a result, one species will have an