Types of Interspecific Interactions
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Sandeep kumar SathuaTypes of Interspecific Interactions
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Sandeep kumar Sathua- Interspecific Interaction & Their Types
- Symbiosis
- Neutralism
- Competition
- Commensalism
- Amensalism
- Mutualism
- Predators
- Mutualistic Symbiosis
- Predator-Prey Population Dynamics
- Seasonal and Geographic Variation in Interspecific Interactions
- Parasite
- Concepts of Positive Interspecific Interactions
Presentation on
Interspecific Interactions
COURSE INSTRUCTOR: SUBMITTED BY:
Prof. P.S. Singh Sandeep Kumar Sathua
Dept. of Entomology & Agricultural Zoology I.D. No- Z-13062
IAS, BHU [Link]. (Ag) 1st Year
CONTENTS
Interspecific Interaction & Their Types
Symbiosis
Neutralism
Competition & Types of Competition
Commensalism With Examples
Mutualism With Examples
Mutualistic Symbiosis
Predators
Parasites
Seasonal & geographical variation in Interspecific interaction
Concepts of positive interspecific interactions
INTERSPECIFIC INTERACTIONS
An interspecific interaction is a type of community interaction in which two
different species living together interact.
Both species may experience positive, neutral, or negative benefits
Types of Interspecific interactions
There are mostly four types of interactions :
1- Predation: harmful to one and beneficial to another
2- Competition: harmful to both
3- Commensalism: beneficial to one and neutral to the other
4- Mutualism: beneficial to both
Types of Interspecific Interactions
SYMBIOSIS
‘Sym’ means together & ‘Bio’ means life
Any relationship that involves two (or more) species living together and
interacting among themselves.
This is a general term which includes predation, parasitism, commensalism,
mutualism, etc., but often is used to mean mutualism.
NEUTRALISM
§ Neutralism is the most common type of
interspecific interaction in which neither
population affects the other. Any interactions that
do occur are indirect or incidental.
§ Example: The tarantulas living in a desert and
the cacti living in a desert
COMPETITION
§ Competition occurs when organisms have an adverse effect on each other as
a result of requiring the same resource. The resources are space, nutrients,
light and water are limited in nature.
§ Competition occurs between two or more organisms. When these organisms
belong to the same species it is referred to as intraspecific competition.
When it occurs between individuals of different species it is interspecific
competition.
Two dung beetles fighting for a Ants of different species fighting
dung ball together
TYPES OF COMPETITION
§ Exploitation competition – It occurs when individuals use the same limiting
resource or resources, thus depleting the amount available to others.
§ Interference competition – It occurs when individuals interfere with the
foraging, survival, or reproduction of others, or directly prevent their
physical establishment in a portion of a habitat.
Ants Fighting for a Single Food Source Beetles battle for Survival &
(Exploitation ) Reproduction(Interference)
COMMENSALISM
§ Commensalism is an interspecific interaction where one species benefits and
the other is unaffected.
§ Commensalisms are ubiquitous in nature: birds nesting in trees are
commensal.
§ Commensal organisms frequently live in the nests, or on the bodies of the
other species.
Examples of Commensalism
§ Ant colonies harbor rove beetles as commensals.
These beetles mimic the ants behavior, and pass
as ants. They eat detritus and dead ants.
§ Anemone fish live within the tentacles of
anemones. They have specialized mucus
membranes that render them immune to the
anemone’s stings. They gain protection by living
in this way.
AMENSALISM
§ Amensalism is when one species suffers and the other interacting species
experiences no effect.
§ Allelopathy involves the production and release of chemical substances by
one species that inhibit the growth of another. These secondary substances
are chemicals produced by plants that seen to have no direct use in
metabolism.
§ Black Walnut (Juglans nigra) trees excrete an antibiotic called juglone.
Juglone is known to inhibit the growth of trees, shrubs, grasses, and herbs
found growing near black walnut trees.
MUTUALISM
§ Mutualism is an interspecific interaction between two species that benefits
both members.
§ Populations of each species grow, survive and/or reproduce at a higher rate
in the presence of the other species.
§ Mutualisms are widespread in nature, and occur among many different
types of organisms
Examples of Mutualism
The yucca moth both pollinates and feeds on the
yucca plant
Acacia ants live in the thorns of, defend, and are fed
by the acacia tree in which they live.
Most rooting plants have mutualistic associations
with fungal mychorrhizae. Mychorrhizae increase
the capability of plant roots to absorb nutrients. In
return, the host provides support and a supply of carbohydrates.
MUTUALISTIC SYMBIOSIS
Mutualistic Symbiosis is a type of mutualism in which individuals interact
physically, or even live within the body of the other mutualist. Frequently,
the relationship is essential for the survival of at least one member.
Example:
Lichens are a fungal-algal symbiosis
The mass of fungal hyphae provides a protected habitat for the algae, and
takes up water and nutrients for the algae. In return, the algae (and
cyanobacteria) provide carbohydrates as a source of energy for the fungus.
PREDATORS
Predators are the organisms those tend to be larger than their prey, and
consume many prey during their lifetimes for growth & development.
A predator is a species which consumes members of another species.
Examples - Preying mantid, Dragon fly, Ground Beetles, Tiger Beetle, Giant
water bug etc.
Lady bird Beetle Dragon Fly Praying Mantis
PREDATOR-PREY POPULATION DYNAMICS
§ Predation may be a density-dependent mortality factor to the host
population-and prey may represent a limiting resource to predators.
§ The degree of prey mortality is a function of the density of the predator
population.
§ The density of the prey population, in turn, affects the birth and death rates
of the predator population.
§ i.e, when prey become particularly common, predators increase in numbers
until prey die back due to increased predation, this, in turn, inhibits the
growth of prey.
§ Typically, there is a time lag effect.
PARASITE
Parasitism is a symbiotic association between two organisms in which one
organism lives & feeds externally or internally on the host during its entire
feeding stage of life. The attacking organism is called Parasite.
Usually a parasite is considered to be smaller than the host and therefore
capable of parasitizing only one host at a time.
Example- Many disease causing microorganisms (Bacteria, virus, worms
etc.)
SEASONAL AND GEOGRAPHIC VARIATION IN INTERSPECIFIC INTERACTIONS
Interactions vary in their probability of occurrence along environmental
gradients (e.g. latitudinal or altitudinal) and under different ecological
conditions or between habitats; and they vary between seasons.
In general, the tropics contain more species than an equivalent area at
higher latitudes, although exceptions are numerous when specific taxa are
reviewed.
Not only are species unevenly distributed, but their interactions also vary
spatially and temporally.
For Example: The structure of ant communities and of interactions between
ants and plants has been studied in different habitats, and it is clear that
neither the spatial nor the temporal dimension can be ignored, because
along with habitats the interspecific interaction also differ.
Ant of different communities
CONCEPTS OF POSITIVE INTERSPECIFIC INTERACTIONS
Recent attention to the cooperative relationships among species shows that
they are important forces in shaping community structure.
Positive interspecific interactions are defined as ‘Cooperative relationships
between different species that result in better growth, reproduction and/or
survival for at least one species involved in the interaction without negatively
affecting the other species’.
Positive interactions can be trophic and nontrophic, can act directly or
indirectly (mediated by a third species) and can be symmetric (species have
equal effects) or asymmetric (species have unequal effects).
Theory and experiments show that positive interactions are more likely to
occur under stressful physical or biological contexts.
Positive interactions should promote species coexistence and thus increase
species diversity.
Positive species interactions are not static but vary in their outcome
depending on the context under which they occur.
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Common questions
Powered by AIIn commensal relationships, organisms use mechanisms such as specialized physical adaptations and behavioral mimicry to benefit. For instance, anemone fish have developed mucus membranes that protect them from anemone stings, allowing them to gain protection while not impacting the anemone . Another example is rove beetles mimicking ant behavior to live within colonies and feed on detritus, benefiting from the protection of ant nests without affecting ant populations .
Cooperative relationships significantly shape community structure by promoting species coexistence and ecological stability. Trophic interactions like mutualism involve nutrient exchange; for instance, mycorrhizal fungi aid plant nutrient absorption while receiving carbohydrates, fostering community resilience . Non-trophic interactions might involve species providing facilitative roles, such as a nurse plant offering shade to seedlings, reducing environmental stress and supporting growth . These symbiotic relationships enhance biodiversity, optimize resource use, and stabilize ecosystems against external pressures .
Mutualistic symbiosis involves interactions where each species provides a benefit to the other, often essential for their survival . An example is the mutualistic relationship between fungi and algae in lichens; the fungal partner provides a protected habitat and nutrients, while algae provide carbohydrates for energy . Another example is mycorrhizal associations between fungi and plant roots where fungi enhance nutrient absorption for plants, which supply carbohydrates to fungi .
Predation involves a predator that typically kills and consumes multiple prey during its lifetime, directly impacting prey populations . In contrast, parasitism involves a parasite living and feeding on a host organism, often without killing it, allowing the host to serve as a resource for an extended period . Parasites are usually smaller than their hosts and tend to exploit a single host, whereas predators often consume various prey across their lifespan .
Amensalism is characterized by one species being inhibited or destroyed while the other is unaffected . This interaction is ecologically significant as it can limit the distribution and abundance of species in an ecosystem. An example of amensalism is allelopathy, where the Black Walnut tree secretes juglone, a chemical that inhibits the growth of nearby plants . This mechanism affects plant community structure and successional dynamics .
Positive interspecific interactions, such as mutualism, promote species coexistence and enhance biodiversity by providing cooperative relationships that improve species' growth, reproduction, and survival without negatively impacting each other . In stressful environments, such interactions are more prevalent, facilitating adaptation and increased species diversity . They also enable resource sharing and reduce competition, contributing to a stable and diverse ecosystem .
Predation plays a crucial role in regulating ecosystem dynamics by controlling the population sizes of both predator and prey species . It acts as a density-dependent mortality factor where increased predator populations lead to prey population declines, subsequently reducing predator numbers due to scarcity of prey . This creates a time lag effect where fluctuations in population sizes can lead to cyclical dynamics, stabilizing overall ecosystem balance .
Interspecific competition impacts resource availability by reducing the amount of space, nutrients, light, and water available to both competing species . There are two types of competition: exploitation and interference. Exploitation competition occurs when individuals use the same limiting resources, depleting their availability to others . Interference competition involves direct interactions where individuals prevent others from accessing resources, affecting foraging, survival, or reproduction .
Seasonal and geographic variations influence the occurrence and intensity of interspecific interactions by altering ecological conditions and resource availability . For example, interaction dynamics vary along latitudinal gradients where tropics host more species than higher latitudes, influencing competition and mutualism intensities . Temporally, seasonal changes can lead to shifts in species interactions, such as variations in predator-prey dynamics due to fluctuating prey availability .
Exploitation and interference competitions are pivotal in shaping community structures by influencing species distribution and resource allocation. Exploitation competition reduces resources for all species involved, leading to niche differentiation and potentially driving adaptive strategies among competitors . Interference competition, on the other hand, involves direct interactions that can lead to competitive exclusion or the establishment of dominance hierarchies, affecting species composition and community dynamics . These competitions can regulate population sizes and promote diversity by maintaining balance in community interactions .
