Species Interaction
Ashley Mangle & Mariah Canty
What is Species Interaction?
Types of Species Interactions
COMPETITION
Competition is between two species of the same community sharing a required limited resource. There are two different types of competition. One of those two is intraspecific competition. This competition is between organisms of the same species. Lions competing for a buffalo would be a great example. Another type of competition is interspecific competition. This type of competition is between organisms of different species. A good example for this type of competition would be a snake and a crocodile competing for a bird.
PREDATION
Predation can help eliminate the sick, weak, and old organisms in an environment which results in helping the population. Organisms use prey acquisition to void off predators and predators also use this technique as a way to capture their prey. Examples of prey acquisition are: camouflage, changing of appearance, and chemicals (such as venom). Predator avoidance are used by organisms who are being preyed which include mimicry, hard protective shells, and also camouflage.
PARASITISM
Parasitism is when one species feeds off of another species while living inside or on the organism. Parasitism includes the organism being harmed, which is known as the host, and the organism feeding, which is known as the parasite. An example for parasitism would be a dog who has worms. The worm lives inside of the dog and feeds off of it. This can often cause the dog to not get all of the nutrients and food it should be getting because the worm is consuming what the dog eats.
MUTUALISM
Mutualism can be defined as the relationship that benefits two or more species. Mutualism can be categorized into 3 different types.
POLLINATION MUTUALISM
Organisms like bees, butterflies, moths, wasps, flies, and beetles are known for being pollinators. The plants receive pollination while the pollinator receives food.
NUTRITIONAL MUTUALISM
In this type of mutualism, energy and nutrients are transferred between the organisms. An example would be bacteria or fungi.
GUT INHABITANT MUTUALISM
This type of mutualism happens inside a host's body, when large quantities of bacteria break down or digest the food of their host.
4th period
October 24th, 2013