Communities and Evolution:
Resource Competition Game
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Game rules
This game demonstrates how competition can shape ecosystems. During the game, the participants learn, how the amount of resources, like food, can influence the success of species, and also that, how competition can influence the structure of communities. Equipment needed for the game: A) Game situation - No competition (for a 3-person group): 8 white craft balls 8 black craft balls 8 yellow craft balls 8 blue craft balls 8 red craft balls 3 plates 1 plastic spoon 2 forks 2 knifes Animal cards / Life chips 1 timer B) Game situation - Competition (for a 3-person group): 4 white craft balls 4 black craft balls 4 yellow craft balls 4 blue craft balls 4 red craft balls 3 plates 1 plastic spoon 2 forks 2 knifes Animal cards / Life chips 1 timer |
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To set up the game:
Participants will be divided equally into A) no competition and B) competition groups. Place the balls on the table. They stay in place more easily if you put a piece of non‑slip mat underneath. Give each participant an animal card (wolf, fox, lynx), three life cards, and a plate and spoon for collecting balls onto their own plate.If there are more than three participants, you can add a fourth player to each game table. Randomly choose an animal card for them and add more balls to the table. For each new competitor, add 12 balls in the “no competition” groups and 6 balls in the “competition” groups. The colors of the balls are determined by the animal card so that each color used by that animal is represented in equal amounts. Rules: 1. Each player must collect the balls of colors shown on their own animal card (e.g., the lynx collects yellow and blue balls, while the fox may collect blue, black, and red balls). 2. Each animal has its own eating habits. For example, the fox can collect black, red, and blue balls. The wolf can collect white and red balls. The lynx can collect yellow and blue balls. 3. Each animal has its own adaptations for collecting food: – Fox: one spoon – Wolf: two forks – Lynx: two knives Note: one utensil per hand. 4. Participants have a limited time (30 seconds) in each round to collect balls. The game leader may shorten or extend the time depending on the group. If the players are very quick, the round can be as short as 10 seconds, or if many balls remain on the table at the 30‑second mark, the time can be extended. 5. Each animal starts the game with three life cards (3 heart cards). To survive the round, the species must collect at least five balls. If a participant collects three balls more than the required five (i.e., eight or more), they gain an extra life, meaning that reproduction was successful! 6. The game lasts 4–6 rounds, and each round takes about 30 seconds. Life card scoring: After each round, count the number of balls on the plate that match the animal’s own diet.
After both rounds, draw a graph based on the game results. This can be done by hand or, for example, using Excel. – – – – – – – – – – 
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Figures
NO COMPETITION: The number of individuals increases over time. At the beginning, the whole group (three subgroups) had 3 lynxes, 3 foxes, and 3 wolves, each with 3 life cards. After the fifth round, the lynxes had a total of 18 life cards, the red foxes 17, and the wolves 22. This means that in a situation with abundant resources, the number of individuals (i.e., the number of life cards) increases as time passes (as the number of game rounds increases). COMPETITION: In the competitive environment, the number of individuals decreases over time (i.e., as the game rounds progress). At the start of the game, based on the life cards, there were 3 lynxes, 3 red foxes, and 3 wolves (each species with 3 life cards). After the fifth round, the lynxes had a total of 9, the foxes 2, and the wolves 15 life cards. Post-activity questions for the students: * What happens in an environment without competition? * What happens in a competitive environment? * Why? * What does competition influence? * What happens if ecological niches completely overlap? What if they do not overlap? * Why is intraspecific and interspecific competition important in nature — or is it? Possible applications of the game: Human activities can influence ecological communities by increasing or decreasing competition (e.g., habitat degradation leading to reduced food or nesting sites). This can be demonstrated by removing or adding resources during the game (e.g., adding or removing equal amounts of all ball colors — or only certain colors). How does this affect interspecific competition? |
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More resources and inspiration: Books: * Peter R. Grant ja B. Rosemary Grant: 40 Years of Evolution: Darwin´s * Finches on Daphne Major Island. Princeton University Press. 2014 Videos: * Fuse School: Competition and Natural Selection * Fuse School: Evolution by Natural Selection-Darwin´s Finches |