Testing how methods impact the results of interspecific competition research

Abstract

There are currently two methods that can be used to measure interspecific competition, pairwise and mutual invasion. Both can be used to generate niche difference (ND) and relative fitness difference (RFD) values, as well as determine if two species are able to coexist. Although the newer method, mutual invasion, has been in use for eight years, there has not yet been a study that compares the two. In order to determine if the method impacts the results found in a study, two simple experiments were conducted concurrently. The five-week long experiment involved determining whether Colpidium striatum and Tetrahymena pyriformis are able to coexist. Upon completion, both methods concluded that they could coexist. Despite reaching the same conclusion, it is still unknown if other species pairings or more complex experiments would alter these results.