Interspecific Relationships

Interspecific Relationships refers to certain complex relationships between the members of different populations populations within ecological communities. These relationships can cause either a negative, positive or neutral effect on the biotic factors of the community.

Mutualism
In this type of relationship the two organisms of different species are benefited by working together. For example: The Clownfish and the Sea Anemone work together defending each other. The Sea Anemone provides the Clownfish a shelter which protects it from predators be giving them electric shocks and ingesting them. The Clownfish defends the anemone from butterflyfish which would eat the anemone. The Oxpecker bird and the rhinoceros or zebra are another example. The Oxpecker will stand on top of the rhinoceros or zebra eating the parasites living on their skin, a cleaning the pest of the rhinoceros or zebra.

Commensalism
This relationship occurs when an organism is benefited from the other but the other is not affected either negatively or positively. For example: A bird living in a tree. The bird has a shelter without harming the tree. Barnacles attaching to the skin of whales. The barnacles crustaceans find a habitat where nutrients are available or can be transported to new sources of food without harming the whales skin.

Parasitism
This is the relationship of two different types of organisms when one is benefit by causing damage to the other. For example

A mosquito feeding on a human. It absorbs human blood to obtain protein. Humans can get harmful diseases from mosquitos.

Competition
In this relationship the two organisms compete against each other for resources as space, nutrients, food, water, etc. Both organisms are affected negatively due to the fact that the resources are limited or they to confront each other physically for these resources. For example Pines and spruces in a forest competing for nutrients in the soil and water.

Neutralism
Interactions between organisms that do not affect positively or negatively either of them. For example Rabbits, deers, and frogs living together in grasslands areas do not attack each other for resources, therefore they are neutral.

Predation
Interaction where an organism feed on the other organism. The predator feeds on their prey, therefore the prey always ends death. For example A spider waiting in its net for catching an insect and eating it. The spiders gets food so its benefited and the insects dies.

Grazing
The relationship which an organism feeds on plants and multicellular autotrophic (algae). For example Sheeps feeding on grass Interspecific Relationship Mutualism Species A + Species B +

Commensalism

Parasitism Competition Neutralism Predation

+ 0 +

0 -

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