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A fungus that climbs up a tree reaching higher elevation to release its spores in the wind and does not receive any nutrients from the tree or contribute to the tree’s welfare is described as a ________.

commensal
mutualist
parasite
pathogen

User DrTarr
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Answer:

A fungus that climbs up a tree reaching higher elevation to release its spores in the wind and doesn't receive any nutrients from the tree or contribute to the tree's welfare is described as a parasite.

Step-by-step explanation:

Parasitism is a process by which a species expands its ability to survive using other species to cover their basic and vital needs, which do not necessarily have to refer to nutritional issues, and can cover functions such as propagation of propagules or advantages for the reproduction of the parasitic species, etc. Almost all animals have some parasitic species.

It is a dependency relationship between two different species, where one has metabolic dependence on the other. Whether or not damage occurs varies greatly according to each host and parasite species in each environment. Importantly, host survival interests the parasite, which is metabolically dependent on it. Thus, the death of the host would represent the death of the parasite as well.

User Bhadram
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