Transcript Ecology Part 2

Ecology Part 2
How species interact with each
other
Interactions
• 5 types of species interactions
– Predation
– Competition
– Parasitism
– Mutualism
– commensalism
Predation
• One organism kills
and eats the other
organism
• The organism that is
eaten is called the
prey
Predator- the one that does the
eating
Familiar examples
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Lions feeding on zebras
Cougars eating deer
Snakes eating mice
Blue whale – the largest animal on earthfeeds on small krill ( shrimplike marine
animals)
Blue Whale
• Also a predator
because it feeds on
krill-tiny shrimplike
marine animals
Krill
Predators
• Tend to feed on
young and weak
• As populations of
prey decline, the
predators either
switch to other prey or
begin to die off
themselves
Competitions
• When 2 or more organisms of the same or
different species attempt to use the same
LIMITED resource
Competition
• Can also be between
plants
• Competing for limited
sunlight in the forest
Competition Examples
• Panda bears compete
with humans for bamboo
• Imported kudzu vines
cover native plants
and trees (NC)
• Imported fire ants
compete with native
ants for territory
Species can compete even if they
do not come
• Into contact with each
other
• An insect species feeds
on a flower during the day
• And another species
feeds on the same flower
at night
Parasitism
• What do ticks, fleas, viruses, tapeworms,
leeches ( other than fishing) and mistletoe
all have in common?
• Parasites- organisms that live on or in
another organism
• They feed on it without IMMEDIATELY
killing it
Plants and animals are weakened
by parasites
• Making them more
vulnerable to
predators
• Host- the organism
the parasite takes its
nourishment from
• Fee
Mutualism
• A cooperative partnership between two
species in which both benefit
How is bacteria useful?
• Billions of bacteria
live in our intestines
(yuck)
• However—without
them we could not
break down certain
foods
• it would just be
hanging out in our
intestines forever
Bacteria also
• Produce necessary
substances your body
cannot make
• Vitamin k which is
essential for proper
blood clotting
Acacia Trees and Ants
• These trees provide
food –nectar and
nesting places in the
thorns for the ants
• Ants defend the tree
from grasshoppers/
beetles (herbivores)
commensalism
• One species benefits and the other is not
harmed nor helped
• Remora fish attaches to a shark
• They feed on the shark’s leftovers