Ecological Relationships
Symbiosis is a close ecological relationship between different species.
There are 3 types of symbiosis:
1. Mutualism - Both species benefit
2. Commensalism - One species benefits the other is unaffected
3. Parasitism - One species benefits the other is harmed
Below are some examples:
There are 3 types of symbiosis:
1. Mutualism - Both species benefit
2. Commensalism - One species benefits the other is unaffected
3. Parasitism - One species benefits the other is harmed
Below are some examples:
Other Relationships
There are 2 more relationships to know:
1. Predator-Prey - One species hunts and eats another
Predator - the one that hunts
Prey - the one that gets hunted
NOTE: Parasites are not predators because they want to live off of their host for as long as possible. They would prefer if their host lived forever so they could get food from it. Predators want to kill their prey.
2. Competition - Two species fight for the same resource. That resource could be food, land, water, or anything that both need to survive.
In the picture to the left the buffalo and pronghorn both eat the same grass in the area. If there isn't much grass, both species will suffer.
1. Predator-Prey - One species hunts and eats another
Predator - the one that hunts
Prey - the one that gets hunted
NOTE: Parasites are not predators because they want to live off of their host for as long as possible. They would prefer if their host lived forever so they could get food from it. Predators want to kill their prey.
2. Competition - Two species fight for the same resource. That resource could be food, land, water, or anything that both need to survive.
In the picture to the left the buffalo and pronghorn both eat the same grass in the area. If there isn't much grass, both species will suffer.