Relationships Among Organisms
A symbiotic relationship in which one species benefits and the other is harmed is known as
parasitism.
What is the name that is given to a symbiotic relationship in which both species benefit?
mutualism
A relationship in which one species kills and consumes another species is known as
predation.
The Remora remora, or suckerfish, often attaches to larger organisms such as sharks and whales through the use of a specialized sucker. This interaction enables the remora to feed on the scraps of food that remain from the larger organism’s meal. Typically, the larger organism is unaware of, and unaffected by, the remora. Which type of interaction occurs between the remora and its host organism?
commensalism
Termites are unable to digest some plant materials (fiber). Termite stomachs contain bacteria that digest the fiber in wood for the termites. In turn, the bacteria are provided with a hospitable environment to carry out their life processes.
mutualism
When an insect touches the bristles on the lobes of a Venus flytrap, the lobes close quickly, engulfing the insect. The movement of the insect inside the lobes causes the flytrap to secrete digestive enzymes that kill the insect. Which type of relationship does this describe?
Predation
Which term refers to a change in one species that results from a change in another species that it interacts with?
coevolution
Some flowering plants are pollinated by honeybees. At some time in the past, honeybees evolved the ability to see ultraviolet radiation. Some flowers have evolved to produce ultraviolet markers on their petals that direct honeybees to the reproductive parts of the flower. What is this an example of?
coevolution
Bears and salmon have a predator-prey relationship. What would most likely happen to the bear population if the salmon population increased?
increase
The pine borer beetle is a parasite to the pine tree. What would most likely happen to the pine tree population if the beetle population decreased?
increase
What is a snake that eats a mouse an example of?
Predation
As human travel increases, the number of introduced species likely
increases.
The cane toad, or Rhinella marina, was introduced to the Hawaiian Islands in 1932 by sugar cane farmers. The farmers released the toads in their crops to help control pests that were damaging the sugar cane. The cane toad has few natural predators because it secretes a poisonous toxin that kills the animals that consume it. As a result, the cane toad population thrived, and by 1935, it numbered hundreds of thousands. Which role does the cane toad play in the Hawaiian Islands?
invasive species
Which is most likely to help an introduced species become invasive?
great tolerance to a wide range of conditions
Why are invasive species dangerous to the environment?
They threaten biodiversity.
Squirrels and chipmunks compete for the same food source. What is most likely to happen to the degree of competition between these two species if their food became scarce?
Increase
Legumes, a type of plant, require Rhizobia, a type of soil bacteria, to survive since these organisms fix nitrogen. Rhizobia use the legumes for food. What would most likely happen to the legume population if Rhizobia suddenly became extinct?
become extinct