Symbiosis
MutualismBoth Organisms are benefited
Example: Egyptian Prowlers (a bird) and Alligators. The prowler will pick bits out of the gator's teeth, giving the gator healthier teeth and the prowler a meal. Both are benefited. |
Commensalism One Organism benefits and the other is neither helped nor harmed.
Example: Oysters and Mangrove trees. The Oysters will latch onto the roots of the tree, giving them a stable foundation to live on. The tree is left unharmed, but isn't benefited either |
Parasitism One Organism is benefited and the other is harmed.
Example: Mistletoe on Mangrove. The Mistletoe that grows on the limbs of a mangrove has a place to call home, but the mistletoe's roots damage the internal structures of the tree's limb. Mistletoe benefits while the Mangrove suffers. |
Predator Vs. Prey
When it comes to life, it's Eat-Or-Be Eaten. The shrimp is a common meal in the area. The fearsome snook is one of its natural predators, as is the grouper fish. However, it is still Eat-Or-Be-Eaten, and us humans have consumed numerous grouper and numerous snook.
Competition
Many think there's only competition for survival between animals in the environment, but they'd be mistaken. It also occurs in plants as well. The Napa Palm and the Red Mangrove are always competing over land. While the Red Mangroves were there first, the Napa's roots shoot out fairly widely and spread like a wildfire, pushing off and killing numerous Red Mangroves.