English

Interaction between Organisms

Advertisements

Topics

Estimated time: 9 minutes
CISCE: Class 12

Intraspecific vs. Interspecific Interactions

Feature / Effect Intraspecific Interaction (between members of the same species) Interspecific Interaction (between different species)

1. Use of the same limiting resource

(Results in fitness loss)

Competition Competition
2. Consumption of another individual Cannibalism (Consuming one's own species) Predation (Consuming a different species)
3. Close association with mutual benefit Altruism or Mutualism Mutualism
4. Close association at the cost of the host Parasitism Parasitism
CISCE: Class 12

Important Population & Species Concepts

Term Meaning Key Distinctive Feature
Local Population (Demes) A population of organisms inhabiting a specific, particular area. Restricted to one local area.
Sister Population Different populations of the same kind of organism are found in different places. Same species, geographically separated.
Metapopulation A set of local populations interconnected by dispersing individuals. Linked together by movement/migration.
Endemic Species A species that is strictly confined to a specific geographic area. Found nowhere else on Earth (endemism).
Keystone Species A species whose removal significantly alters or collapses the community structure. Its activities determine the structure of the entire community.
CISCE: Class 12

Key Points: Interaction between Organisms

  • The ecological hierarchy scales from the individual organism, which is the fundamental unit of study, up to the biosphere, which encompasses the entire global ecosystem.
  • Autecology focuses on the relationship between a single species and its environment, whereas synecology examines complex interactions among a group of different species.
  • Ecological relationships are categorised as either intraspecific (occurring between members of the same species) or interspecific (occurring between two or more different species).
  • Primary interactions include competition for limiting resources, predation or cannibalism for consumption, mutualism for shared benefit, and parasitism at the expense of a host.
  • Populations can be strictly localised (demes), dispersed but interconnected (metapopulations), or entirely exclusive to one specific geographic region (endemic species).
  • Keystone species serve as the critical foundation of a biological community; their removal fundamentally disrupts and alters the entire ecological structure.
Advertisements
Share
Notifications

Englishहिंदीमराठी


      Forgot password?
Use app×