How Organisms Interact It’s not me…it’s you…

The Nature of things… Most consumer organisms are related by a predator-prey relationship. One organism is the “predator” (hunter), the other is the “prey” (eaten)

Ecosystems need predators! Primary consumers tend to have VERY large families (lots of babies). Without predators to control the populations of primary consumers, the P.C. would eventually overrun the producers and destroy the ecosystems

It takes energy to be alive… Q: So why is it a good thing that the MOST available energy is at the Producer level? Q: Which level of an ecosystem seems to need the MOST energy to do what it does? Producers simply need to make sugar and grow Primary Consumers only need to walk to the next green pasture Predator need to find, chase, and kill their food! Important! There is only so much available energy out there. So, why is it that only “the fittest” usually survive out in the wild?

Symbiotic relationships: When two or more organisms purposely live in the same space. At least one of the organisms MUST benefit from the relationship to be symbiosis. There are three types of this relationship: -Mutualism -Commensalism -Parasitism

Mutualism Both species in this relationship benefit This bird lives on the back of the deer. The bird eats little bugs in the fur of the deer and the deer gets cleaned Both species in this relationship benefit Doesn’t have to be two animals: Bats and saguaro Here are a bunch of little doctor fish that are cleaning a man’s foot!!! The Doctor Fish is the little guy that other fish (including sharks!!!) let swim into their mouths. They do this because the doctor fish eats little parasites and cleans the fish! Both fish benefit!!! The bat likes to eat the inside of the flower, the pollen sticks bat’s nose and when he sticks his head into the next flower, that flower becomes pollinated and can reproduce!

Commensalism Two organisms living together where one is helped but at least one other isn’t helped or harmed These small fish swim next to large sharks. The fish get small scraps of food and protection. The shark gets nothing in return… Nemo? The Clown fish swims near the Anemone for protection. The Anemone get nothing in return…

Ticks dig themselves into a host’s skin Parasitism Involves one or more organisms living on or even INSIDE another organism the “host” is harmed. Common examples: Fleas, ticks, tapeworms, and leaches Parasites usually don’t want to kill it’s host! This is a Lamprey. It lives in the water and attaches itself to the belly of another sea critter (like a whale). It then uses the nasty circular teeth to eat away at the flesh of the sea critter…NASTY! Ticks dig themselves into a host’s skin and suck away! Mosquitoes suck fluid (blood) out of the host

Relationships Quiz: + + _ + + Fill in the blanks: Grrrr This relationship would be: Predator-Prey The Lion is a: The deer is a: Predator Prey Organism A Organism B Mutualism + + Relationship: Ex: Ex: _ + Relationship: Parasitism Ex: Ex: + Relationship: Commensalism Ex: Ex: + means good - means bad