{ "nid": "61", "details": "\x3cspan class=\"title\"\x3eEcoBeaker™: Niches and Competitive Exclusion\x3c/span\x3e\x3cbr/\x3e\n\x3cspan class=\"description\"\x3eThis fun and engaging laboratory, affectionately referred to as \x26quot;the bunny lab\x26quot;, explores ecological niches and the competitive exclusion principle. Can four identical species of rabbits coexist in a yard with a limited amount of the only source of food (lettuce)? What would happen if a rabbit with a broader diet (e.g., lettuce and carrots) were to invade the yard? How could that rabbit\'s niche be modified to allow coexistence? Students address these questions by manipulating procedures and parameters in the model. The first part of the lab takes students step-by-step through manipulations and is great for introductory-level courses and as a general introduction to EcoBeaker models. The last (optional) part of the lab challenges students to figure out ways to modify the model to achieve coexistence with only one type of food being added to the yard. This part is open-ended and can be integrated with more advanced topics such as Lotka-Volterra models.\r\n\x3c/span\x3e\x3cbr/\x3e\n\x3cbr/\x3e\n\x3cstrong\x3eLevel\x3c/strong\x3e: Intro\x3cbr/\x3e\n\x3cstrong\x3eKey Concepts\x3c/strong\x3e: Competitive Exclusion; Niche; Scientific Modling\x3cbr/\x3e\n\x3cstrong\x3eCourses\x3c/strong\x3e: Community Ecology; Ecology; Intro Bio: Eco/Evo/Genetics; Intro Bio: Non-majors\x3cbr/\x3e\n          \x3cbr/\x3e\x3ca href=\"/search_result_details/brief/61\" class=\"node_brief\"\x3eRead less\x3c/a\x3e        \x3cbr/\x3e\x3ca href=\"/cart/add/61\"\x3e + Add to course collection\x3c/a\x3e  \x3c/span\x3e \x3c!-- description --\x3e\n" }