Ecosystems Relationships
When two organisms live together in some type of long term relationship, it is called symbiosis. There are several types of symbiotic relationships in which at least one organism benefits and the other benefits, is harmed, or is not effected. Mutualism is a relationship where both organisms benefit. Commensalism is a relationship where one benefits and the other is not affected. Parasitism is where one organism benefits and the other is harmed.
Label each organism with a:
(+) if the interaction helps the organism
(-) if the interaction harms the organism
(0) if the interaction does not affect the organism
Label each interaction as mutualism, commensalism, or parasitism.
1. Crocodiles often open their mouths to let plover birds pick parasitic leeches off their gums.
CrocodilePlover bird
2. A blue jay builds a nest on the highest branch of an oak tree and is protected from predators.
Blue JayOak tree
3. A bee feeds on the nectar in the flower of a honeysuckle plant and gets pollen on the hairs of its legs. When the bee flies to another honeysuckle plant, the pollen is transferred to another flower, resulting in pollination.
BeeHoneysuckle plant
4. Athletes foot is caused by fungus growing on the skin of a person’s foot. The fungus eats the human’s skin, causing irritation.
FungusHuman
5. A cowbird pushes the eggs of songbird out of its nest, and it lays its own eggs in the nest. The songbird sits on the cowbird’s eggs until they hatch and takes care them. The songbird uses a great deal of energy to hatch, feed, and care for the baby cowbirds that are not its own offspring.
SongbirdCowbird
6. An orchid plant grows on the branch of a tree and does not harm it. The orchid is able to get more sunlight.
OrchidTree
7. A tapeworm lives in the intestines of a horse and robs its nutrients.
HorseTapeworm
____ 1. A tick living on a dog.
____ 2. The honeyguide bird leading the honey badger to the bees hive, both eat the honey.
____ 3. A tapeworm living in a 6th grade students intestines.
____ 4. A bird building their nest in a tree.
____ 5. The hermit crab carrying the sea anemone on its back.
____ 6. The bristle worm living with the hermit crab.
____ 7. Head lice living on a human scalp.
____ 8. Mistletoe putting its roots into its host tree.
____ 9. The ants and the acacia tree living together and both receiving benefit.
____10. The egret, an insect eating bird, graze near some herbivores mouth.
____11. Orchids growing in tall tropical trees, the trees are not harmed but the orchids get sunlight.
____12. Bacteria living on a humans skin.
____13. The remora hitching a ride on a shark.
____14. Barnacles living on a whale.
____15. Bees and a flower.
____16. Bacteria living in the intestines of a cow to help it break down cellulose.
____17. The clownfish and the sea anenemoe.
____18. A sixth grader and their pet.
____19. The Rhino and the tick bird.
____20. The lichen- a close relationship of a fungus and an alga that benefits both.
Animals / Interactions / Symbiotic RelationshipBarnacle & Whale / Barnacles create home sites by attaching themselves to whales. / 1.
Cuckoo & Warbler / A cuckoo may lay its eggs in a warbler’s nest. The cuckoo’s young will displace the warbler’s young and the warbler will raise the cuckoo’s young. / 2.
Honey Guide Bird & Badger / Honey guide birds alert and direct badgers to bee hives. The badgers then expose the hives and feed on the honey first. Then the honey guide birds eat. / 3.
Bee & Maribou Stork / The stork uses its saw-like bill to cut up the dead animals it eats. As a result the dead animal carcass is accessible to some bees for food and egg laying. / 4.
Silverfish & Army Ants / Silverfish live and hunt with army ants. They share the prey. / 5.
Mouse & Flea / A flea feeds on a mouse’s blood to the mouse’s detriment. / 6.
Yucca Plant & Yucca Moth / Yucca flowers are pollinated by yucca moths. The moths lay their eggs in the flowers where the larvae hatch and eat some of the developing seeds. / 7.
Ostrich & Gazelle / Ostriches and gazelles feed next to each other. They both watch for predators and alert each other to danger. Since the visual abilities of the two species are different, they each can identify threats the other animal would not see as readily. / 8.
Hermit Crab & Snail / Hermit crabs live in shells made and then abandoned by snails. / 9.
Egret (Cowbird) & Bison / As bison walk through grass, insects become active and are seen and eaten by cowbirds. / 10.
Wrasse Fish & Black Sea Bass / Wrasse fish feed on the parasites found on the black sea bass’s body. / 11.
Mistletoe & Spruce Tree / Mistletoe extracts water and nutrients from the spruce tree to the tree’s detriment. / 12.
Remora & Shark / Remoras attach themselves to a shark’s body. They then travel with the shark and feed on the leftover food scraps from the shark’s meals. / 13.
Oxpecker & Rhinoceros / Oxpeckers feed on the ticks found on a rhinoceros. / 14.
Deer & Tick / Ticks feed on deer blood to the deer’s detriment. / 15.