In ecology, the rock-paper-scissors game is used to model interactions such as predation, resource competition, and symbiosis. This can help to understand how different species or individuals interact and influence each other in an ecosystem. Additionally, the rock-paper-scissors game can be used to explore how evolution can influence the strategies used by species or individuals in competitions.

One interesting aspect of the rock-paper-scissors game in ecology is the concept of coexistence. In many cases, the game can lead to a cyclic dominance between different strategies, where each strategy is temporarily dominant over others, but eventually loses to a third strategy. This cyclic dominance can allow multiple strategies to coexist in an ecosystem, rather than having one dominant strategy that eliminates others.

Another aspect to consider is the influence of external factors on the game, such as the availability of resources or the presence of other species. These external factors can change the outcome of the game, and thus the coexistence probability of different strategies. For example, if one resource becomes scarce, a strategy that is dependent on that resource may become less advantageous, leading to a shift in the dominance of different strategies.