Interactions within an Ecosystem

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Interactions within an Ecosystem

• Unit 1, Topic 1

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What is ecology?

• Ecology the study of the relationship between
  living organisms and their environment
• Ecologist some who studies ecology

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The Needs of Living Things

• Food
• Habitat
• Water
• Exchange gases

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Adaptations

• An adaptation is an inherited characteristic that
  helps and organism survive and reproduce in its
  environment.
• If an organism is said to be adapted it means
  that it is well suited.

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Ecosystems

• An ecosystem is the interaction between living
  and non-living things in a particular environment.

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Interactions in Ecosystems

• Symbiosis occurs when two species live closely
  together in a relationship that lasts over time.
• There are three types of symbiosis

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Mutualism

• a relationship between two different organisms,
  in which each partner benefits from the
  relationship.
• Example Ants and aphids the ants protect the
  aphids from predators, and in return they drink
  the sweet liquid that aphids excrete.

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Parasitism

• A symbiotic relationship in which one organism
  benefits and the other organism is harmed.
• Parasite the organism that meets its needs at
  the expense of the other organism
• Host the organism that is harmed by the parasite

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Example Tapeworms and humans

• The tapeworms can grow to 10m long and live in
  the intestines of humans. They benefit by
  absorbing the nutrients from the humans food and
  the human is harmed because it does not get the
  nutrients from the food it eats.

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Commensalism

• A symbiotic relationship in which one partner
  benefits and the other partner appears neither to
  lose nor to gain from the relationship.
• Example shark and remora remoras attach
  themselves to a shark and benefit from the food
  droppings of the shark. The shark is not harmed,
  nor does it benefit.

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Impacts on Ecosystems

• Some animals have a greater impact on their
  environment. Beavers cut down trees to make dams
  that actually change the flow of rivers and
  therefore affect where fish and other organisms
  can live.

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