The principle of competitive exclusion was stated by:

Explanation

Two or more species with closely similar niche requirements cannot exist indefinitely in the same area as sooner or later they come into competition for possession of it. This is called Gause's competitive exclusion principle, which states that an ecological niche cannot be simultaneously and completely occupied by established populations of more than one species. Two species can live in the same habitat but not in the same niche. The more similar the two niches are, the more severe the competition is.