Relationships Are Complicated!

Relationships Are Complicated!

Where we live and what we do Habitat: Where an organism lives and all the

resources (biotic and abiotic) it needs to survive Niche: The species’ role in its environment

e.g., type of food, predators, ability to reproduce, habitat needs

Competition: When organisms attempt to use the same resource in the same place and time

Competitive exclusion principle: No two species can occupy the same niche in the same habitat at the same time.

What Is Symbiosis? Symbiosis: a close ecological relationship

between the individuals of two (or more) different species (sym = together; bio = life) Competition: Both organisms are harmed Mutualism: Both organisms benefit Commensalism: One organism benefits, other is

unaffected Parasitism: Parasite benefits, host is harmed (but

not killed) Predation: Predator benefits, prey is killed Herbivory: Herbivore benefits, plant is harmed or

killed

CompetitionTwo flowering plants that compete for the same space (both are harmed due to energy expense).http://elementy.ru/images/eltbook/competitive_exclusion_principle_520.jpg

Competition – introduced speciesEastern Bluebird losing numbers to the House Sparrow, a non-native species

http://my.core.com/~paper-images/Eastern_Bluebird022v.jpg

http://photogallery.canberrabirds.org.au/images/Sparrow_House_Dabb.jpg

Competition – introduced species• Kudzu was introduced to the

• United States in 1876 at the• Centennial Exposition in • Philadelphia, PA.

Kudzu “outcompetes” other

native plants so they don’t

have a place to grow.

&imgrefurl=http://www.yahoolavista.com/kudzu/&h=288&w=432&sz=35&hl=en&start=11&tbnid=tp85kKj4SEtsvM:&tbnh=84&tbnw=126&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dkudzu%26svnum%3D10%26hl%3Den%26lr%3D

Mutualism - Clownfish and Anemone

The anemone protects the clownfish, and the clownfish keeps the anemone free from dirt and debris

http://www.bigfishhooked.com/clown_fish_and_anenome.jpg

Clown Fish

Mutualism - Dove and cactus

Cactus provides fruit for the dove; dove eats the fruit (including the seed) and transports the seed (along a dose of fertilizer!) to a new location.

Oxpecker and Ox

Oxpecker feeds on ectoparasites of the cattle (such as ticks) and warns the animals of approaching predators

Mutualism – Caterpillar and ants

Ant &Catepillar Movie

Caterpillar feeds the ants with drops of honeydew, ants protect caterpillar from predators

Commensalism - Cattle Egret and Cattle

Cattle stir up insects, which the egrets eat

Commensalism - Shark and Remora

Remora (attached by a sucker) gets a ride on the shark, sometimes also gets food dropped by shark

Commensalism – whale and barnacle

The barnacle larvae swim around, attach to the whale, and form the adult; whale habitat is good location for finding food

Parasitism – Cuckoo & Small Nesting Birds

Cuckoo lays egg in host’s nest to be raised by host (and kills host’s eggs)

YouTube:Cuckoo Bird & Duck

Parasitism - Leeches and Mammals

Leech feeds on blood of mammal host

Parasitism - Tapeworm and Mammal

Tapeworm feeds off digestive tract of mammal

http://gecko.gc.maricopa.edu/~lsola/bio182/labreview/platyhelminthes/tapeworm.jpg

Predation – Spider and prey insects

In this Predator-Prey relationship, the spider is eating an insect that it has trapped.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/flashmaggie/50552812/

Predation – Snake and mouse

• The snake is the only one benefiting in this relationship!

The Ultimate Predator – a Wildcat!

http://www.birdsasart.com/cheetah-w-prey-_T9J1935-Sambura-WR,-Kenya.jpg

Predator/Prey “Arms Race” Predators and prey are involved in an ever-

escalating evolutionary “arms race”! e.g., antelope gets faster, so cheetah gets faster

For many populations predation is the main cause of death. BUT the prey determines the predator

population When the prey population increases, predator

population increases When prey population decreases, predator population

decreases