Download Mutualism

Species – group of similar individuals who can
interbreed to produce fertile offspring and further
generations may also do so.
Population – group of individuals of the same
species living in the same area, potentially
interacting.
Community – group of populations of different
species living in the same area, potentially
interacting.
What are some ecological interactions?
No organism is an autonomous entity isolated from
its surroundings.
An organism's interactions with its environment are
fundamental to the survival of that organism and
the functioning of the ecosystem as a whole.
Ecological relationships can be classified as
predation, competition and as symbiosis.
 Predation is when one animal eats another.
One species benefits by getting food. The other
species is killed.
 Competition is when two organisms are trying
to get the same resources: e.g. food, water,
sunlight, shelter, mates.
Neither species benefits from this
relationship, because each organism is taking
resources from the other.
 Symbiotic Relationships occur when two
organisms live side by side or together.
 There are several different kinds of
symbiotic relationships:
 Parasitism
 Neutralism
 Commensalism
 Mutualism
• Mutualism: Both species benefit. The two organisms
help each other.
An example would be a honey bee and a daisy. The
honey bee gets to eat the pollen from the flower. The
daisy uses the bee to spread its pollen to other
flowers.
Three Kinds of Mutualisms
1.
Energetic & nutritional – transfer of
energy/nutrients from one organism to another
or to each other
2.
Protective – defense against predators or
herbivores
3.
Transport – movement of seeds, pollen, or adult
organisms
Energetic Mutualisms
Gut symbiont
 bacteria in animal guts digest plant materials and
produce vitamins/amino acids
 benefit to bacteria is a stable environment and a
steady food source
Mycorrhizal fungi
 fungi that live intermingled with plant roots
 fungi uptake nutrients from soil for plants
 plants provide carbohydrates to the fungi
 mycorrhizal fungi are found in almost every plant
 very important where nutrients are limited
Lichens are fungi and algae
living together. The fungus
provides a moist environment
for the algae and the algae
provides nutrients for the
fungus.
Birds and mammals eat berries and
fruits while the plant benefits by the
dispersal of it seeds.
Protective Mutualisms
Ants/acacias –
 acacias provide food, hollow stems for nesting
 ants attack herbivores and kill encroaching plants
 wrens nest in the acacias and are protected from
predators by the ants (commensalism)
Transport Mutualisms
Pollination
 flowers trade nectar for pollen transport
 can be general or species-specific
Seed dispersal
Plants provide nutritious fruit, seeds to encourage
dispersal by animals
 many seeds require gut passage to germinate
 some plants trade-off consumption of some seeds to
ensure dispersal
Seed dispersal
Why does seed dispersal benefit plants? (why not just
drop seeds?)
1.
Avoid pathogens that the parent may harbor
2. Colonise new habitats where conditions may be
better than near the parent
3. Find locations where germination is more likely
(ant nests)
 Commensalism: One species benefits. The other
species is unaffected. A common example is an animal
using a plant for shelter.
An American Robin benefits by building its nest in a
Red Maple tree. The tree is unaffected.
Barnacles get a free ride by
attaching themselves to whales.
The whale is unaffected.
Epiphytes are plants that grow
on other plants receiving
nutrients from the rain, air and
any debris that it catches. It
does not affect the plant it is
fixed on.
 Parasitism: Ones species benefits by living in or
on the host, or by stealing nutrients from the
host. The other species, the host, is harmed.
An example would be a deer tick and a Whitetailed Deer. The tick gets food from the deer
without killing it. The deer is harmed by losing
blood to the tick, and possibly by getting an
infected wound.
Mistletoe plants tap into
the branches of
established plants and
steal nutrients from the
host plant.
Some fungi digest moist
wood, even on living trees.
 Neutralism: Neither species benefits or is
harmed. Both organisms are unaffected.
An American Goldfinch is a bird that eats mostly
seeds. It may share a tree with a Great Crested
Flycatcher, which eats mostly insects. Neither
affects the other.
Acacia Plant & Ants
The ants lay eggs on acacia
tree so they get a nice safe
place for their eggs. The acacia
covers the infected area with
brown flesh (called a gall.)
The plant has to use valuable
resources to create the gall.
What symbiotic relationship is
this?
parasitism
This fish lives its entire adult life among
the tentacles of a bulb- tentacle sea
anemone. Clown fish do not get stung by
the anemone as would most other fish so
they get protection from predators. The
fish often drop food scraps which the
anemones can eat.
What symbiotic relationship is
this?
mutualism
This Boxer Crab carries a pair of
stinging anemones in its claws or
on its shell, which it uses to defend
itself from predators. The
anemones get to move around
which increases their food supply.
What symbiotic relationship is
this?
mutualism
Shark & Remora
commensalism
The remora attaches itself to the
shark and saves energy since it
doesn’t have to swim, and it gets to
snack on the sharks kills. The shark
doesn’t get anything.
What symbiotic relationship is
this?
Emperor Shrimp & Sea Cucumber
This tiny emperor shrimp is riding along
on the back of a sea cucumber (a long
worm-like starfish relative) while it
crawls along a sandy bottom. The
shrimp gets to travel around under the
protection of its much larger partner,
and the sea cucumber doesn't seem to
mind.
What symbiotic relationship is
this?
commensalism
Moray Eel & Cleaner Fish
This moray eel has a small fish cleaning
between its teeth. The eel gets a clean mouth
while the cleaner fish gets a nice meal.
mutualism
What symbiotic relationship is
this?
Cattle & Cattle Egrets
As these cattle walk around eating
grass they stir up lots of insects.
The egrets hang around and get a
yummy meal of insects.
What symbiotic relationship is
this?
commensalism
Antelope & Ox Bird
This ox bird hangs out
on the antelope and
gets a delicious meal of
bugs living on the
antelope. The antelope
gets rid of parasites.
What symbiotic relationship is
this?
mutualism
Loa Loa Worm & Human
This worm infects humans
via the blood stream and
gets a nice warm safe
home there. The
human may go blind or
have other complications
as a result.
What symbiotic relationship is
this?
parasitism
This alpheid shrimp (on
the right) uses its strong claws
like a bulldozer to create a
burrow in the sand. The shrimp
is nearly blind. It relies upon its
partner, the sharp-eyed goby, to
warn of danger. When a
potential predator approaches,
both animals disappear quickly
into the burrow
mutualism
What symbiotic relationship is
this?
Can you see the two cleaner
wrasses are
removing parasites from a
batfish? One of the wrasses has
entered the gill slit of the
batfish, and may even enter its
mouth in search of food. The
batfish gets a bath and the
wrasse gets a meal.
What symbiotic relationship is
this?
mutualism
mutualism
This hummingbird moth is drinking
the nectar of a flower. The flower
gets pollinated (the moth brings
pollen from other flowers) and the
moth gets a tasty meal.
What symbiotic relationship is
this?
Organising ecological interactions
effect on species 1
+
+
effect on
species 2 0
-
mutualism
commensalism
predation
parasitism
0
commensalism
predation
parasitism
neutralism
competition