Ch.

5, Sec 2: Interactions in Communities p109-111

Section 2: Interactions In Communities

• How do predator-prey interactions influence both
predators and prey?

• How are plants protected from herbivores?

• How does symbiosis work?

• What are examples of all these relationship?

Ch. 5, Sec 2: Interactions in Communities p109-111

1) Predator-Prey Interactions

• Predation --- one organism killing another for food.

• The predator is often bigger or more powerful

• The prey population is larger than the predator
population
• The predator population usually follows the prey
Ch. 5, Sec 2: Interactions in Communities p109-111

1) Predator-Prey Interactions (cont.)

Ch. 5, Sec 2: Interactions in Communities p109-111

Predator-Prey Interactions, cont.

See Visual Concept 60350: PREDATION

Ch. 5, Sec 2: Interactions in Communities p109-111

2) Herbivory
• Herbivores are animals that eat plants.

• Unlike predators, herbivores do not often kill the plants.

But plants do try to defend themselves.

• Plants defend themselves from herbivores with thorns

and spines or with bad tasting chemical compounds.
These chemical compounds may even cause sickness or
death.

• See Visual Concept 60352: HERBIVORY

Ch. 5, Sec 2: Interactions in Communities p109-111

3) Other Interactions: Symbiosis

• Not all interactions between organisms result in a winner
and a loser.

• Symbiosis -- two species live in close association with each

other. One species benefits, and the other might or might not
benefit

• Three types of symbiosis:

1) Parasitism

2) Mutualism

3) Commensalism
Ch. 5, Sec 2: Interactions in Communities p109-111

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Ch. 5, Sec 2: Interactions in Communities p109-111

Parasitism
• In parasitism, a parasite feeds on a host.

• The host is almost always larger than the parasite, and is

usually harmed but not intentionally killed.

• Parasites often live on or in their host. Therefore, the

parasite gets both food and a place to live.

• Examples: fleas, tapeworms, mosquitoes, ticks, leeches

Ch. 5, Sec 2: Interactions in Communities p109-111

Parasites, continued

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Ch. 5, Sec 2: Interactions in Communities p109-111

Parasites, continued
• Hosts try to keep parasites from infecting them --
immune systems, scratching, tail swatting.

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Ch. 5, Sec 2: Interactions in Communities p109-111

Mutualism: BOTH species benefit

Egrets on large mammals Cleaner fish

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Ch. 5, Sec 2: Interactions in Communities p109-111

Egrets on large mamals Cleaner fish

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Ch. 5, Sec 2: Interactions in Communities p109-111

Commensalism
• one species is helped,
but the other is neutral.

– Orchids on forest
trees to reach the sun
Ch. 5, Sec 2: Interactions in Communities p109-111

Commensalism, cont.
Monarch caterpillar is
immune to milkweed
poison -- absorbs it
and becomes
poisonous to butterfly
predators
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Milkweed is neither
helped, nor harmed
Ch. 5, Sec 2: Interactions in Communities p109-111

Summary
1. Predators kill prey for food; populations are related

2. Herbivores eat plants, but plants can defend through thorns, taste, or toxins

3. Symbiosis is close connection between two species; at least one benefits

Relationship Species A Species B
Parasitism Helps Hurts
Mutualism Helps Helps
Commensalism Helps Neutral
Ch. 5, Sec 2: Interactions in Communities p109-111

Vocabulary List
• Predation (predator, prey)
• Herbivory
• Symbiosis
• Parasitism (parasite, host)
• Mutualism
• Commensalism