Ecology
This page is going to talk about all the different types of relationships in ecosystems. The types of relationships are Mutualism, Commanalism, Parasitism, and Predator/Prey.
Mutualism
In a mutualism relationship both animals in the relationship benefit from each other. They need each other. An example of this type of relationship involves fungi and algae. The small hyphae of the fungi help the algae absorb water, minerals and nutrients for the algae's food. The fungi help by attaching to the roots of the algae, thus allowing the algae to gain more effectiveness from the roots system. In turn, the algae give the fungi the product of photosynthesis, food.
Commensalism
In a commensalism relationship one organism benefits more than the other. One organism doesn't care/notice that the other is there. An example of this type of relationship is a squirrel and an pine tree. The squirrel lives in the tree and gets food from the tree. But the tree doesn't benefit or get hurt from the squirrel being there.
Parasitism
In a parasitism relationship, one organism is harmed while the other does the harming. An example of this type of relationship is mistletoe and a tree. The mistletoe lives off of the tree. The mistletoe does this by digging their roots into branches of trees.
Predator/Prey
In a predator/prey relationship one organism is the predator and the other is the prey. A predator is one that devours or destroys; one that lives by predation. Prey is any animal taken by a predator for food. An example of a predator/prey relationship is a hare and a lynx. The lynx chases the hare and he eventually catches the hare. The lynx then kills the hare and eats it.