A

SCIENCE 7
LEARNING ACTIVITY SHEETS

Subject Area and Grade Level: Science 7

Activity Sheet No: 6B
First Edition, 2020

Published in the Philippines

By the Department of Education
Region 8 – Division of Samar

Republic Act 8293, section 176 states that: No copyright shall subsist in any work of the
Government of the Philippines. However, prior approval of the government agency or office wherein
the work is crafted shall be necessary for exploitation of such work for profit. Such agency or office
may among other things impose as a condition the payment of royalties.

This Learning Activity Sheet is developed by DepEd Region 8 – Division of Samar.

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. No part of this learning resource may be reproduced or

transmitted in any form or by any means electronic or mechanical, without written permission
from the DepEd Regional Office 8 – Division of Samar.

Development Team of Science Activity Sheet

Writer: Benedicto J. Pelicano Jr., T-I

Illustrator & Layout Artists: Riona Marie D. Magbutay, T-I
Reviewer: Gina L. Palines, PhD.
Editor: Benedicto J. Pelicano Jr., T-I

Carmela R. Tamayo EdD., CESO V – Schools Division Superintendent

Moises D. Labian Jr. PhD., CESO VI – Asst. Schools Division Superintendent
Antonio F. Caveiro, PhD. - Chief Education Supervisor, CID

Gina L. Palines, PhD. - EPS – Science

Josefina F. Dacallos EdD. – PSDS/LRMS Manager Designate

Deogene U. Dapuran, PhD. - District Head

Karen C. Doroja - School Principal
Elmer B. Gonzales - School Head
 SCIENCE 7
Learning Area

Name of Learner: ______________________ Grade Level: _____ Section: ______

School: ________________________________ Date: ___________

DIFFERENT ECOLOGICAL RELATIONSHIPS FOUND IN AN ECOSYSTEM

Title
I. Introduction:

Ecological relationships describe the interactions between and

among organisms within their environment. These interactions
may have positive, negative or neutral effects on either species'
ability to survive and reproduce, or "fitness."

II. MELC (with code):

 Describe the different ecological relationships found in an ecosystem. S7LT-llh-10 (MELC
page 385)

III. Strategy:

A. Explore:
Direction: Circle the best answer.

1. Ticks carry bacteria that cause Lyme disease. Ticks do not get Lyme disease, but they can
transfer the bacteria to humans, who can get the disease. Which of the following statements
best describes the relationships among the bacteria, the ticks, and the humans?
a. The relationship between the bacteria and the ticks is competition, and the relationship
between the ticks and the humans is predation.
b. The relationship between the bacteria and the ticks is competition, and the relationship
between the ticks and the humans is parasitism.
c. The relationship between the bacteria and the ticks is commensalism, and the
relationship between the ticks and the humans is parasitism.
d. The relationship between the bacteria and the ticks is commensalism, and the
relationship between the ticks and the humans is predation.

2. Tapeworms are sometimes found in the small intestines of sheep. A tapeworm attaches to
the intestinal wall using suckers and then absorbs nutrients from the sheep’s intestine.
Which of the following terms describes the relationship between the tapeworm and the
sheep?
a. competition
b. herbivory
c. parasitism
d. predation

3. Many lichens are composed of fungi and algae. The fungi get sugars from the algae, and the
algae get water, minerals, and proteins from the fungi. Which of the following terms best
describes the relationship between the organisms in the lichens?
a. commensalism
 b. competition
c. mutualism
d. parasitism

4. The ecological relationship between a hawk and a rabbit is the same type of relationship as
that between
a. a tick and a deer.
b. a frog and an insect.
c. a mouse and a chipmunk.
d. a bee and a flowering plant.

B. Learn:

Predation: One Wins, One Loses

 Predation includes any interaction between two species in which one species
benefits by obtaining resources from and to the detriment of the other. While
it's most often associated with the classic predator-prey interaction, in which
one species kills and consumes another, not all predation interactions result
in the death of one organism. In the case of herbivory, a herbivore often
consumes only part of the plant. While this action may result in injury to the
plant, it may also result in seed dispersal. Many ecologists include parasitic interactions in
discussions of predation. In such relationships, the parasite causes harm to the host over
time, possibly even death. As an example, parasitic tapeworms attach themselves to the
intestinal lining of dogs, humans and other mammals, consuming partially digested food and
depriving the host of nutrients, thus lowering the host's fitness.

Competition: The Double Negative

 Competition exists when multiple organisms vie for the same, limiting resource. Because the
use of a limited resource by one species decreases availability to the other, competition lowers
the fitness of both. Competition can be interspecific, between different species, or intraspecific,
between individuals of the same species. In the 1930s, Russian ecologist Georgy Gause
proposed that two species competing for the same limiting resource cannot coexist in the same
place at the same time. As a consequence, one species may be driven to extinction, or evolution
reduces the competition.

Mutualism: Everyone Wins

 Mutualism describes an interaction that benefits both species. A well-known example exists
in the mutualistic relationship between alga and fungus that form lichens. The
photosynthesizing alga supplies the fungus with nutrients, and gains protection in return. The
relationship also allows lichen to colonize habitats inhospitable to either organism alone. In
rare case, mutualistic partners cheat. Some bees and birds receive food rewards without
providing pollination services in exchange. These "nectar robbers" chew a hole at the base of
the flower and miss contact with the reproductive structures.

Commensalism: A Positive/Zero Interaction

 An interaction where one species benefits and the other remains unaffected is known as
commensalism. As an example, cattle egrets and brown-headed cowbirds forage in close
association with cattle and horses, feeding on insects flushed by the movement of the livestock.
The birds benefit from this relationship, but the livestock generally do not. Often it's difficult
to tease apart commensalism and mutualism. For example, if the egret or cowbird feeds on
 ticks or other pests off of the animal's back, the relationship is more aptly described as
mutualistic.

Amensalism: A Negative/Zero Interaction

 Amensalism describes an interaction in which the presence of one species has a negative effect
on another, but the first species is unaffected. For example, a herd of elephants walking across
a landscape may crush fragile plants. Amensalistic interactions commonly result when one
species produces a chemical compound that is harmful to another species. The chemical
juglone produced in the roots of black walnut inhibit the growth of other trees and shrubs,
but has no effect on the walnut tree.

C. Engage:

Direction: Complete the table below by writing the kind of symbiotic relationship
described on the left.
Relationships Among Organisms

Description of Relationship Kind of Relationship

Organisms of different species live

together in a close, long-term
1.
relationship

One species benefits and the other

species does not benefit but is not
2.
harmed by the relationship

One species benefits at the expense of 3.

another

Both species benefit from the 4.

relationship

D. Apply:
Direction: Many organisms live together in permanent relationships called SYMBIOSIS. Symbiosis
is a Greek word that means “living together”. There are three types of symbiotic relationships.
These relationships are defined below. Use the definitions to determine which relationships are
described in the chart. Write PARASITISM, MUTUALISM, or COMMENSALISM in the chart after
the appropriate example.

EXAMPLES TYPE OF SYMBIOTIC RELATIONSHIP

1. Epiphytes and tropical trees – trees give
support & hold epiphytes to sun; epiphytes
do not absorb nutrients from trees.
2. Lichen – cyanobacteria produces food for
the fungus; fungus provides water and
minerals for the cyanobacteria.
3. Barnacles and whales – whales provide
barnacles with changing food supply,
barnacles do not harm whale.
4. Tapeworm and fish – tapeworm lives off
nutrients from fish; fish suffers from
tapeworm.
5. Peas and nitrogen-fixing bacteria – peas
provide a home for nitrogen-fixing bacteria:
bacteria prepare free nitrogen so the plant
can use it.
6. Shark and remora _ Shark provides
transportation for remora; remora feeds on
shark kills and does not harm shark.
7. Lamprey and fish – lamprey feeds off the
body of the fish; fish eventually dies.
8. Clown fish and sea anemone – clown fish
cleans parasites from the anemone;
anemone provides protection for the clown
fish.
9. Dodder on clover – dodder takes nutrients
from clover and eventually kills the plant;
clover provides support for dodder.
10. Termites and cellulose-digesting
microorganisms – microorganisms break
down cellulose so that termites can digest it;
termites provide home for microorganisms.
11. Thorn acacia and ant – ants are nourished
by drinking a solution produced by the
acacia: the ants protect the acacia by
cutting through vines of approaching plants
and attaching other insects that might harm
the acacia.

IV. REFERENCES
Asuncion, Alvie et.al.. Science - Grade 7 Learner's Material. Pasig City: FEP Printing
Corporation. 2017.

Rabago, Dr. Lilia M.,et.al. Science and Technology 2 - Biology. Metro Manila -Cebu: Vibal
Publishing House, Incorporated. 1990.

Rabago, Lilia Malabago, Ph.D.,et.al. Laboratory Manual and Workbook Science and
Technology 2 Biology. Metro Manila-Cebu: Vibal Publishing House, Incorporated.
1997.

Olivares, Maria et.al. Science and Technology for the Modern World II. Makati City: Diwa
Scholastic Press Inc. ,2003.

Towle, Albert. Modern Biology. United States of America: Holt, Rinehart and Winston.
1999.
V. KEY TO CORRECT ANSWER