Community Interactions - such as, competition, predation, and symbiosis can powerfully affect an ecosystem
Every morning in Africa
A gazelle wakes up & “knows”
It must run faster that the fastest lion
Or it will be killed.
Every morning, a lion wakes up & “knows”
It must outrun the slowest gazelle
Or it will starve to death
It doesn’t matter whether you are a lion or a gazelle
When the sun comes up,
You better be running …
Competition: Occurs when organisms of the same or different species attempt to use an ecological resource in the same place at the same time
Things that reduce competition - being active at different times of the day - establishing territories - establishing hierarchies - requiring different resources at different times of the life cycle
Predation: Hunter & hunted Predator - prey
Predator and Prey Adaptations
- Camouflage (cryptic coloration)
Marked with bright or contrasting colors as a warning that the animal is venomous or noxious. - Warning coloration
- Distasteful
- Horns for protection - Hooves for running fast
- Deceptive markings (eyespots)
- Sharp Hearing
Example: Monarch & Viceroy - Mimicry
- Sting - Poisonous
- Offensive Odors / Repellant Chemicals
- Ability to run fast
- Sharp horns - Sharp tearing teeth
- Claws for piercing
Lynx & hare
Predator – prey graph
Cat and Deer
Rabbit vs. Snake
Symbiosis: Mutualism – both species benefit from the relationship
Rhino & Oxpecker
Lichen = alga & fungus
Rhizobium legume Rhizobium (nitrogen fixing bacteria) & legume nodules
E. coli E. coli & human gut
Commensalism – one organism benefits and the other is neither helped nor harmed (a one-way relationship)
Clownfish & Sea Anemones
Shark & Remora
Spanish moss growing on trees
Parasitism – one organism benefits and the other is harmed
Endoparasites Tapeworms
Ectoparasites Caterpillar & wasp larvae
Mosquito
Leeches
Ticks & mammals