Thursday, April 7, 2011

Define the different forms of community interaction: competition, commensalism, mutualism, predation, parasitism Give an example and a picture for each

                    The competition for resources such as food, water, territory, and sunlight results in the ultimate survival and dominance of the variant of the species best suited for survival. A limited amount of resources are available, and several species may depend on these resources. In ecology, commensalism is a class of relationship between two organisms where one organism benefits but the other is neutral. An example of commensalism is cattle egrets foraging in fields among cattle or other livestock. Mutualism is the way two organisms biologically interact where each individual derives a fitness benefit. A well known example of mutualism is the relationship between ungulates and bacteria within their intestines. predation describes a biological interaction where a predator feeds on its prey. Parasitism is a type of symbiotic relationship between organisms of different species where one organism, the parasite, benefits at the expense of the other, the host.

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