Table 5 The Main Types of Interspecies Interactions in Ecological Communities (Khan Academy 2016)
Name | Description | Effect |
|---|---|---|
Competition | Organisms of two species use the same limited resource and have a negative impact on each other. | - / - |
Predation | A member of one species, predator, eats all or part of the body of a member of another species, prey. | + / - |
Herbivory | A special case of predation in which the prey species is a plant. | + / - |
Mutualism | A long-term, close association between two species in which both partners benefit. | + / + |
Commensalism | A long-term, close association between two species in which one benefits and the other is unaffected. | + / 0 |
Parasitism | A long-term, close association between two species in which one benefits and the other is harmed. | + / - |