Question

Describe each of the following species interactions and give an example of each: (a) interspecific competition (b) intraspecific competition (c) predation (d) territoriality (e) symbiosis.

Answer 1

Species interactions include interspecific and intraspecific competition, predation, territoriality, and symbiosis; examples range from cheetahs and lions competing for prey, to deer battling for mates, to the mutualistic relationship between bees and flowers.

Step-by-step explanation:

Species interactions are vital in understanding ecological communities and their behavior. They include a variety of interactions such as competition, predation, territoriality, and symbiosis, with each having a distinct impact on species involved.

• Interspecific competition occurs when individuals of different species compete for a limited resource in the same area. An example of this is when cheetahs and lions both feed on similar prey. If the prey is limited, the lions might out-compete the cheetahs, which could lead the cheetahs to either migrate or decline in population.
• Intraspecific competition happens among members of the same species, often over resources like mates or territory. For instance, male deer may clash their antlers in a battle for mating rights.
• Predation is an interaction where one organism, the predator, hunts and eats another organism, the prey. This relationship can influence the evolution of both predator and prey species, driving adaptations for hunting and defense respectively
  Territoriality is when an organism defends a geographical area against others of its own species or different species to secure resources. This can be seen in bird species that sing to demarcate their territory and ward off competitors.
• Symbiosis refers to a close and often long-term interaction between two different biological species. This can be mutualistic, where both benefit; parasitic, where one benefits at the expense of the other; or commensal, where one benefits and the other is not significantly harmed nor helped. An example of symbiosis is the relationship between bees and flowers, where bees get nectar and flowers get pollinated.

Answer 2

Step-by-step explanation:

(a) interspecific competition: It is a kind of competition that occurs between the individuals that belong to different species competing for the same resource in an ecosystem. For example, lion and tiger populations thriving for the same type of prey that is deer population.

(b) intraspecific competition: Interspecific competition occurs between the members of the same population competing for limited resources. For example, trees of the same species competing for the sunlight and soil nutrients.

(c) predation: It is an ecological interaction that occurs between the superior or inferior species. One animal kills other animal to obtain it as a source of food. For example a tiger kills a deer to obtain it as food.

(d) territoriality: It is a quality of a species or a population of species to obtain the geographical area to an extent or limit where no other species or population can intrude. For example, lion shows the territory behavior to protect their children from predators.

(e) symbiosis: It is a type of biological interaction in which two species lives in association with each other. This interaction can be mutualistic, parasitic or commensalistic. For example, a lice sucking blood from animal is an example of parasitic symbiosis.