Interactions Between Organisms

A community contains interacting populations of different species.

 Within each community, organisms interact with one another in different ways.
 Three different ways species interact with one another:

1. Competition
2. Predator and Prey
3. Symbiotic Relationships

Competition:
 When two or more individuals or populations try to use the same resource, such
as food, water, shelter, space, or sunlight.
 Because resources are in limited supply in the environment, their use by one
individual or population decreases the amount available to other organisms.

Predators and Prey:

 Many interactions between species consist of one organism eating another.
o Prey: The organism that is eaten
o Predator: The organism that ate the prey

Example: Tiger and Bird

Prey - Bird
Predator – Tiger

Predator Adaptations:
 Predators must be able to catch their prey to survive.

Example: Cheetah is able to run very quickly to catch its prey. Other predators, such
as the goldenrod spider blends in with the goldenrod flower so all it has to do is wait
for its prey.

Prey Adaptations:
 Prey have to create their own methods of surviving so they aren't eaten.
 Prey are able to run away, travel in groups, camouflage themselves, and some
are even poisonous.
 Prey that are poisonous will often have a bright coloring to their outer covering
to warn predators of their poison.
 Camouflage is an organism’s ability to blend in with its surroundings.

Mimicry- the close external resemblance of an organism, the mimic, to some different
organism, the model, such that the mimic benefits from the mistaken identity, as
seeming to be unpalatable (doesn’t taste good) or harmful.
Symbiotic Relationships:
 Symbiosis: a close, long-term association between two or more species.
 Mutualism: a relationship in which both organisms benefit
 Commensalism: a relationship in which one organism benefits and the other is
unaffected
 Parasitism: a relationship in which one organism benefits while the other is
harmed
Org.1 Org. 2

 Mutualism: + +

 Commensalism: + o or N/A

 Parasitism: + -