Interactions among Organisms and Communities
Big idea: Communities are structured by competition, consumption and symbioses, and the strength of these interactions can alter abundance, coexistence and ecosystem processes.
Learning goals
- competition
- predation
- mutualism
- commensalism
- keystone species
Core concepts
competition
An interaction in which organisms reduce each other's access to a shared limiting resource.
predation
Consumption in which a predator kills and eats prey.
mutualism
An interaction in which both participating species receive a net benefit.
commensalism
An interaction in which one species benefits while the other is not measurably helped or harmed.
keystone species
A species whose effect on community structure is disproportionately large relative to its abundance.