Interspecific Relationships Shape Communities
- Interspecific relationships such as interactions between individuals of different species are the foundation of ecological communities.
- Whether it’s herbivory, predation, or mutualism, these interactions shape population dynamics and drive evolutionary adaptations.
Key Types of Interspecific Relationships
Herbivory: Primary Consumers Feed on Producers
Definition
Herbivores
Herbivores feed on plants or algae, which are producers in the ecosystem.
- Impact: Grazing often allows plants to survive, while complete consumption can damage or kill them.
- Deer nibbling leaves.
- Caterpillars eating plant foliage.
- Herbivory doesn’t always kill the plant.
- Many plants have adaptations, like thorns or toxic chemicals, to deter herbivores and survive.
Predation: One Species Consumes Another
Definition
Predator
Predators hunt, kill, and eat prey to obtain energy.
- Impact: Predation regulates prey populations and drives adaptations like camouflage, speed, or defensive behaviors.
- Hawks preying on mice.
- Frogs eating insects.
- Don’t confuse predation with parasitism.
- Predators kill their prey, while parasites usually keep their hosts alive to continue benefiting from them.
Interspecific Competition: Competing for Shared Resources
Definition
Interspecific competition
Interspecific competition occurs when two or more species vie for the same limited resources, such as food, space, or light.
- Impact: This competition can reduce the availability of resources for all species involved.
- Lions and hyenas competing for prey in the savanna.
- Plants competing for sunlight in dense forests.
- The competitive exclusion principle states that two species competing for the same niche cannot coexist indefinitely.
- One will outcompete the other unless they adapt to use different resources.
