Types of Relationships
What is mutualism?
Mutualism is when both organisms help each other.
A clownfish lives in a sea anemone. The anemone protects the fish, and the fish scares away predators. What relationship is this?
Mutualism — both help each other.
Name one way humans cause environmental change.
Pollution, cutting down forests, and building cities.
What is an ecosystem?
A community of living and nonliving things.
What is biodiversity?
Strong variation in species.
Define parasitism
Parasitism helps one organism and harms the other.
A parasitic isopod attaches to a reef fish and feeds on its blood. What relationship is this?
Parasitism — the isopod is helped, the fish is harmed.
How does deforestation impact biodiversity?
It removes homes for plants and animals.
Name a natural event that can cause ecosystem change.
Hurricanes, fires, floods, etc..
How does high biodiversity contribute to ecosystem stability?
Species diversity boosts an ecosystem’s ability to withstand change.
How does commensalism differ from mutualism?
Commensalism: helps one organism and doesn’t affect the other.
Mutualism: both organisms help each other.
A pearlfish lives inside the body of a sea cucumber to stay safe from predators. The sea cucumber is not helped or harmed. What kind of relationship is this?
Commensalism — the pearlfish is helped, the sea cucumber is not affected.
How does pollution affects aquatic ecosystems?
It can kill aquatic animals and make water unsafe.
How do forest fires both harm and help ecosystems?
Fires may destroy plants, but they also create conditions for new growth.
How can low biodiversity make an ecosystem vulnerable?
With few species, disease or change can destroy the ecosystem.
How does interspecies competition affect ecosystem balance?
Competition can make it harder for species to survive.
Coral polyps and algae called zooxanthellae live together. The algae give food, and the coral gives shelter. What relationship is this?
Mutualism — both help each other survive.
How do agricultural pesticides impact food webs and relationships?
Pesticides can poison insects and animals that eat them.
Describe succession.
Succession is the gradual recovery of ecosystems.
Why are keystone species important for biodiversity?
Keystone species help keep ecosystems balanced.
Compare and contrast all five ecological relationships
Mutualism: both help each other
Parasitism: one benefits, one is harmed
Commensalism: one benefits, one is not helped or hurt
Predation: one hunts and eats another
Competition: both try to use the same resource
A crown-of-thorns starfish eats coral. If too many live in the reef, coral dies and fish lose their homes. What kind of impact is this?
Predation — the starfish eats coral, which can hurt the reef.
Name one of the long-term effects of climate change on global ecosystems?
Raises temperatures, melts ice, and hurts ecosystems.
How do natural and human-caused changes shape long-term ecosystem dynamics?
They can both help or hurt ecosystems long-term.
How does the loss of a species disrupt ecosystem balance?
The extinction of one species can disrupt others that rely on it for survival.