Community ecology  (Page 5/7)

Mutualism

A second type of species interaction is called mutualism , where two species benefit from their interaction (+,+). For example, termites have a mutualistic relationship with protozoa that live in the insect’s gut ( [link] a ). The termite benefits from the ability of bacterial symbionts within the protozoa to digest cellulose. The termite itself cannot do this, and without the protozoa, it would not be able to obtain energy from its food (cellulose from the wood it chews and eats). The protozoa and the bacterial symbionts benefit by having a protective environment and a constant supply of food from the wood chewing actions of the termite. Lichens have a mutualistic relationship between fungus and photosynthetic algae or bacteria ( [link] b ). As these symbionts grow together, the glucose produced by the algae provides nourishment for both organisms, whereas the physical structure of the lichen protects the algae from the elements and makes certain nutrients in the atmosphere more available to the algae. Another example of mutualism is the interaction between a plant and its insect pollinator. The plant benefits from having its pollen transferred to another individual to carry out reproduction and the insect benefits from nectar or other reward provided by the plant. This is an example of a non-symbiotic mutualism as both the plant and the insect are free-living organisms.

Parasitism

A parasite is an organism that lives in or on another living organism and derives nutrients from it. In this relationship, the parasite benefits (+), but the organism being fed upon, the host is harmed (-). The host is usually weakened by the parasite as it siphons resources the host would normally use to maintain itself. The parasite, however, is unlikely to kill the host, especially not quickly, because this would allow no time for the organism to complete its reproductive cycle by spreading to another host.

The reproductive cycles of parasites are often very complex, sometimes requiring more than one host species. A tapeworm is a parasite that causes disease in humans when contaminated, undercooked meat such as pork, fish, or beef is consumed ( [link] ). The tapeworm can live inside the intestine of the host for several years, benefiting from the food the host is bringing into its gut by eating, and may grow to be over 50 ft long by adding segments. The parasite moves from species to species in a cycle, making two hosts necessary to complete its life cycle. Another common parasite is Plasmodium falciparum , the protozoan cause of malaria, a significant disease in many parts of the world. Living in human liver and red blood cells, the organism reproduces asexually in the gut of blood-feeding mosquitoes to complete its life cycle. Thus malaria is spread from human to human by mosquitoes, one of many arthropod-borne infectious diseases.