Relationships Are Complicated!

Symbiosis Overview

We all live together!

• Most all living things have to interact with one another for survival.– Symbiosis – describes any relationship that

develops between two species because they live together

• The way in which different species interact serves to define the type of ecosystem.– There are various forms of symbiosis:

Competition

Competition is when two organisms use the same space and resources at the same time.

Competition can occur between organisms of the same species or different species

Competitive Exclusion Principle – No two species can occupy the same niche in the same habitat at the same time.

CompetitionThe two

flowering

plants are

competing

for the

same space

Which

means both

of them are

harmed.

http://elementy.ru/images/eltbook/competitive_exclusion_principle_520.jpg

Kudzu Competition

• Kudzu was introduced to the

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

It “outcompetes” other

native plants so they don’t

have a place to grow.http://news.uns.purdue.edu/images/+2005/nice-kudzu.jpg

&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

Competition – introduced species

The Eastern Bluebird is being forced into smaller numbers by the House Sparrow, an introduced species.

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

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

Mutualism

• a relationship where both organisms benefit in some way

• This can involve providing food, protection, a place to live or even pollination.

Mutualism - Clownfish and Anemone

The clownfish gets protection from the anemone and in

return protects the anemone from fish that would eat it

(angelfish); the clownfish also keeps the anemone free of

dirt and debris.

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

Mutualism - Lichens

Lichens consist of a

fungus with an algae

or photosynthetic

bacterium living

inside the fungus.

The alga provides

food for both of them

and the fungus

provides a habitat for

the alga.

tbnid=7aE_8wrZkK9LJM:&tbnh=111&tbnw=148&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dlichen%26start%3D20%26ndsp%3D20%26svnum%3D10%26hl%3Den%26lr%3D%26sa%3DN

Termites and Endosymbiotic Protists

http://web.cc.yamaguchi-u.ac.jp/~deb10/termite/image22.gif

http://www.ppru.cornell.edu/news/national_program_poster/picture/Humans1.jpgThe protists digest cellulose for the termites, and the termites provide food for the protists.

Mutualism – Ant and Aphid

http://www.richsoil.com/antsandaphids/ants_aphids_sugar.jpg

The ants protect and ‘farm’ the aphids, while the aphids provide them with nectar.

Oxpecker and Ox

http://www.vet.uga.edu/vpp/NSEP/fmd/Images/oxpecker.jpg

The oxpecker (bird) eats the parasites from the coat of the ox, so the ox has a clean coat and the bird has easy access to food.

Another ox(?)pecker

http://www.wildlife-pictures-online.com/image-files/impala_knp-9113_blog.jpg

More Ox (?) peckers

http://www.wildlifesafari.info/images/birds/oxpecker_yellow-billed.jpg

Nitrogen-Fixing Bacteria and Plants

http://www.pitt.edu/~biohome/Dept/Img/graphics/vo_nodule.jpg

http://www.nitragin.com/images/inoc/pg4-1.jpg

The bacterial colonies in the roots of the plants provide nitrogen to the plants from the soil. In return, the plants provide the bacteria with food.

Bioluminescent Fish

http://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/explorations/04deepscope/background/deeplight/media/fig3a_400.jpg

Bacteria living in the angler of the fish produce a waste product that glows in the dark. The fish uses this ‘light’ to lure and capture prey.

Commensalism

• a relationship where one organism benefits & the other is “unaffected.”

• There is a debate about whether commensalism is actually a one-way relationship or an undiscovered form of mutualism.

Cattle Egret and Cattle

http://www.schmoker.org/BirdPics/Photos/ShorebirdsWaders/CAEG6.jpg

Unlike the oxpecker, the cattle egret does not clean the coat of the cow. Instead, it hangs around waiting to eat the dead bugs that the cow swats from its back. The cow receives no benefit for the bird being present.

Sharks and Remoras

http://www.mcss.sc/images/Newsletter/ws_johannes.jpg

The remoras (small fish) hang around the shark and eat any leftover scraps from the shark’s prey. The shark seemingly receives no benefit, but it is often questioned as to why the shark does not simply eat the remoras.

Commensalism – whale and barnacle

•http://www.coolantarctica.com/Antarctica%20fact%20file/wildlife/whales/humptail.jpg

The barnacle larvae swim around, attach to the whale, and form the adult. This habitat is a good one for providing food. The whale does not “appear” to be harmed.

Commensalism – limpets on mussel shell

Parasitism

• a relationship where one organism benefits and the other is harmed.

• The interaction may eventually lead to the death of the organism, but not in all cases.

Cuckoo Bird and Small Nesting Birds

http://www.arkive.org/media/60E33029-6DA4-4C7A-89BC-30DEE08BC0C2/Presentation.Large/Dunnock_nest_with_three_dunnock_eggs_and_one_cuckoo_egg_.jpg

http://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/~seal/niche/images/figure03.jpg

The cuckoo bird lays its eggs in the nests of other birds. When its young hatch, they are raised by a bird of a different species. The young of the ‘parent’ bird are killed and it doesn’t get to reproduce.

Leeches and Mammal Host

http://www.biopharm-leeches.com/images/hand2.jpg

Leeches suck blood and nutrients from their hosts. The host rarely dies, but does lose nutrients and may have to work harder to support its nutritional needs.

Mistletoe – a plant parasite

http://www.wcosf.org/other_photos/Mistletoe_1_600.JPG

Mistletoe lives off the branches and stems of Other trees. It can photo- synthesize a little but not enough to meet its needs. The tree is often greatly effected.

Tapeworm and Mammal Host

http://twc.bc.ca/images/toons/Bleachers-Tapeworm.gif

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

http://www.britishbeef.co.uk/scolexpicture.jpg

http://constantstateofflux.files.wordpress.com/2007/10/tapeworm1.jpg

Tapeworms absorb nutrients from the intestines of their host. The host can be greatly effected by the loss of nutrients, including eventual death in severe cases.

Tobacco Hornworm and Wasp Cocoons

http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/chatham/ag/SustAg/GSFgraphics/hornwormparasiteweb.jpg

The wasp lays it eggs on the caterpillar. When they hatch, the larvae burrow into the caterpillar and eat him from the inside out. In this way, the wasp offspring are provided with a temporary habitat and an immediate source of food.

Heartworms and DogsThe worm larvae are

transferred from dog to

dog through the bite of

an infected mosquito.

The mosquito sucks

larval heartworms with

blood from an infected

dog. The mosquito then

bites another dog and

transfers these

microscopic larva as it

bites. During the next few

months, these larva

migrate through the dogs

body arriving at the heart

several months later

where they become

adults.

http://www.greatlakesbcrescue.org/HealthNTraining/heartworms.JPG

Predator-Prey

• a relationship where one organism benefits and the other dies.

Predator prey

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

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

Predator-Prey

• In a predator-prey relationship one organism benefits and the other is killed.

The Ultimate Predator – a Wildcat!

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