Resource competition occurs when individuals or groups vie for limited resources, such as food, water, or shelter. This competition can happen within a species, like among animals in a habitat, or between different species, such as plants competing for sunlight. The struggle for these essential resources can influence population dynamics and ecosystem health. In ecosystems, resource competition can lead to various outcomes, including natural selection, where the most adapted individuals thrive. It can also result in coexistence, where species develop strategies to share resources, or exclusion, where one species outcompetes another, leading to its decline or extinction.