Blog #9: The Different Forms of Community Interaction

• Competition- Competition occurs when organisms of the same or different species attempt to use an ecological resource in the same place at the same time. An example of this is when two bears compete for a group of fish.

• Commensalism- Commensalism occurs when one member of the association benefits, while the other is neither helped or harmed. An example of this is when a clown fish uses a sea anenome as a home.

• Mutualism- Mutualism occurs when both species benefit from the relationship. An example of this is when a species of ants care for aphids, while the aphids produce a sweet liquid that the ants like to drink.

• Predation- Predation occurs when one organism captures and feeds on another. An example of this is when lions kill and eat a wild ox.

• Parasitism- Parasitism occurs when one organism lives on or inside another organism and harms it. An example of this is when wasps lay their eggs on organisms such as caterpillars.