Destruction of the Food Chain due to Symbioses

Symbiosis

• Greek: syn (« With ») and biosis (« living »)• Any form of intimate relationships or

associations between members of two or more different species

• Close and often long-term

Types of Symbiosis:• Mutualism:– Both partakers benefit– Most mutualisms are facultative

which means that they can successfully live apart. However, some mutualisms are so intimate that the interacting species can no longer live without each other.

• Commensalism:– One organism benefits without

causing harm or benefit to the other partner

Types of Symbiosis:

• Parasitism:– one partner benefits

while the other is adversely affected.

– Parasites may be destructive or balanced. Destructive parasites destroy their host cells while the balanced parasites fulfill their desires without destroying the host cells.

The Simple Food Chain• The Food Web:– Illustrates and describes the feeding

relationships among species in an ecological community.

Effects of Symbiosis on the Food Chain• For food chains where resources are

not abundant, there are cases in which species 1 eats or preys too much on species 2 thus affecting the other consumers of species two and so effectively destroying the proper food chain up to the decomposers.