In an ecosystem, all organisms are interconnected. Because they are linked, organisms create relationships with one another.
Some organisms fight for resources or space with other organisms, while others rely on one another for survival. These are referred to as ecological relationships.
In addition, Niches are what allow ecological connections to occur. Its niche defines the role of an organism in an ecosystem.
The physical space an organism occupies and how that organism interacts with other species make up a niche.
The position of the organism in the food chain also determines its niche. Furthermore, only one species can occupy a particular niche in an ecosystem.
This makes it possible for different species to coexist. It also helps to keep ecosystems in check. An ecological link is formed when species with comparable or overlapping niches interact.
Moreover, “There is no such thing as an island.” This adage also applies to ecological organisms.
There is no such thing as an isolated organism. Individual creatures coexist in an environment and rely on one another for survival.
They engage in a wide range of interactions with one another, many of which are essential to their existence.
Ecological relationships can be divided into five categories.
1. Competition
This type of ecological relationship is usually negative. When numerous species compete for the same limited resource, competition occurs.
Competition reduces both species ‘ fitness because one species’ usage of a finite resource reduces its availability to the other.
An interspecific match occurs between different species, while intraspecific competition occurs between individuals of the same species.
Furthermore, a Russian ecologist, Georgy Gause postulated in the 1930s that two species vying for the same limited resource could not coexist simultaneously in the exact location.
As a result, one species may face extinction, or evolution may minimize competition.
Additionally, Woodpeckers and squirrels frequently struggle for nesting rights in the same holes and niches in trees, just as lions and cheetahs compete for the same antelope and gazelle prey in the African savanna.
2. Predation
It is an ecological relationship where one loses and the other wins. Any relationship between two species in which one species gains by taking resources from and to the disadvantage of the other is predation.
While it’s most commonly linked with the conventional predator-prey interaction, in which one species kills and consumes another, not all predation interactions end with one creature dying.
In herbivory, a herbivore frequently consumes only a portion of the plant. While this motion may cause damage to the plant, it also has the potential to disperse seeds.
In discussions of predation, many ecologists include parasitic interactions. The parasite causes harm to the host over time, maybe even death, in such partnerships.
Parasitic tapeworms, for example, attach themselves to the intestinal lining of dogs, humans, and other mammals, where they consume partially digested food and deprive the host of nutrients, decreasing the host’s fitness.
3. Commensalism
Commensalism is a relationship in which one species benefits while the other is unaffected.
For example, cattle egrets and brown-headed cowbirds forage close to cattle and horses, eating insects flushed by the livestock’s activity.
In addition, this relationship benefits the birds but not the animals. It’s often difficult to tell the difference between commensalism and mutualism.
However, The relationship is more accurately defined as mutualistic if the egret or cowbird feeds on ticks or other pests off the animal’s back.
The disk on the heads of remora fish allows them to communicate with larger creatures such as sharks, manta rays, and whales.
Nurse plants are bigger plants that shield seedlings from the elements and herbivores, allowing them to flourish. Plants provide safety for tree frogs.
4. Amensalism
Amensalism is a type of ecological relationship in which the presence of one species hurts another but has no effect on the first.
A herd of elephants, for example, traveling across a terrain may trample delicate flora.
However, mentalistic interactions are widespread When one species produces a chemical molecule that is damaging to another.
The chemical juglone released by black walnut roots inhibits the growth of other trees and shrubs but does not affect the walnut tree.
Penicillin, which kills microorganisms, is an excellent example of amensalism.
5. Mutualism
Mutualism is another type of ecological relationship in which everyone wins. It indicates a relationship that benefits both species.
A well-known example is the mutualistic association between alga and fungus that forms lichens.
The photosynthesizing alga provides nutrition to the fungus in exchange for protection. In addition, Lichen can also colonize areas that are unfavorable to either organism on its own.
Mutualistic partners cheat in rare cases. Some bees and birds are rewarded with food without having to provide pollination services.
These “nectar thieves” chew a hole in the flower’s base, avoiding contact with the reproductive components.
