What is symbiosis?
Symbiosis is the interaction between two different species of plant or animals that live together.
Symbiosis is the interaction between two different species of plant or animals that live together.
Mutualism: this relationship is a symbiotic interaction in which both organisms in the relationship benefit.
For Example: The relationship between the capuchin monkeys and the flowering trees in the rainforest. The trees would provide the capuchin monkeys' food and the monkeys provide pollination. The monkeys would eat the flowers' nectar and pollen would get into their face, and as they move on to another tree the pollen is distributed. The mutualism interaction between the monkeys and the tree are very important because without the trees the monkeys would starve and would have to find another source of food.
If the monkeys didnt exist well there might be less trees because the seeds arent distributed. |
Commensalism: this relationship is a symbiotic interaction in which one organism benefits, and the other organism is neither helped nor harmed.
For Example: The relationship between the Ecitoninae Ants and the Antbirds. The ants would eat anything that come there way and the ants birds would eat what they left behind. The birds are benefiting from the ants but the ants are neither harmed or helped. The ants play a big part in this relationships. They provide food for the birds to eat. If the ants didnt exist these birds would have a hard time hunting or searching for their food. However if the birds didnt exist it wouldnt affect the ants because they were never benefiting or were harmed in the first place.
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Parasitism: this relationship is a symbiotic interaction in which one organism benefits and the other is harmed.
For Example: The not so called "relationship" between the Phorid flies and the leaf cutter ants. These flies would attach themselves to the ants and lay eggs inside them. When these eggs hatch the larvae would eat its way out of the ant's body leaving the ants dead. The flies' dependence on the ants benefits them but harms the ants. Since the Phorid flies depends on these ants to hatch and grow their eggs, losing the ants in this relationship would leave the flies finding another way for their eggs survive. It would be great for the ants on the other hand if the flies no longer existed because they wouldnt have to die.
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These three symbiotic relationships are all long-term. There are two more biotic interactions that are short-term relationships.
Competition: this relationship is between two or more organisms fighting for the same resources.
An example of competition in the tropical rainforest would be between all the plants under the canopy layer. The organisms under the tree canopy do not receive a lot of sunlight, so they have to compete with each other. The plants have learned to adapt (their short height) because of competition between plants. |
Predation: this relationship is between a predator and a prey. The predator always benefits, and the prey is always harmed.
An example of predation in the tropical rainforest is between a jaguar and a sloth. They have a predator-prey relationship. In this relationship, the jaguar usually benefits because it gets food, and the sloth is usually harmed because, well, that particular sloth does not exist anymore! In this case though, the sloth may have a chance....
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