I

nter
dependencebet
weenpl
ant
sandani
mal
s

Pl
antdependonani
mal
sfor
:

Car
bondi
oxi
de

Humus(
deadr
ott
enbodi
es)

Pol
l
inat
ion

Di
sper
sal
off
rui
tsandseeds

Ani
mal
sdependonpl
antf
or:

Oxy
gen

Foodi
npl
antr
oot
,st
em,
leav
es,
andf
rui
t

Medi
ci
ne(
nat
iveher
bs)

Associ
ati
onbet
weenor
gani
smsi
nthecommuni
ty

Bel
owar
esomeoft
heexampl
esofassoci
ati
onbet
weenor
gani
smsi
nanenv
ironment

Par
asi
ti
sm: t
hisi
sarel
ationshi
pbetweenpar asi
teandthehost.Par
asi
ti
sm isanassociat
ionin
whi
choneanimalgai
natt heexpenseoftheother.Theor
ganism whi
chsufferi
ntheassociat
ion
i
sthehostandonewhichgainistheparasi
te.EgTapeworm andMan,catt
leandtick.

Pr
edat
or–preyr
elat
ionship:apredatorist
helargeror
ganism t
hatfeedonthesmall
er
or
gani
sm cal
l
edtheprey.Theassociati
oniscal
ledpredat
or–pr eyassoci
ati
on.Egcatandr
at
et
c

Commensal
ism:i
nthisassoci
ati
ontheorgani
smsinvol
vedbenef
itf
rom eachother
.Noone
har
mtheother
.Forexample,t
heassoci
ationbet
weenthecat
tl
eargi
landt hecat
tl
e

Sapr
ophyt
icr
elat
ionship:thi
srefert
oty
peoffeedi
nginwhi
chpl
antfeedondeador
gani
sm
matt
erorhumus.Egf ungiandsomebacter
iapl
antt
hatf
eedsondeadorgani
cmatt
eri
scal
led
sapr
ophyt
icr
elat
ionship.

Symbiosi
s:(
mut uali
sm)isanassociat
ionbetweentwodi
ffer
entorganismsinwhichboth
organi
smsbenef i
t.Eg,
bacter
iainthei
ntest
ineofter
mit
e,bacter
iainrootnodul
esoflegumes,
bacter
iai
ntherumenofr uminants.

I
nst
rumentuset
omeasur
esomeabi
oti
cfact
ors

NO

FACTORS
I
NSTRUMENT

Rai
nfal
l

Rai
ngauge

Temper
atur
e

Ther
momet
er

At
mospher
icpr
essur
e

Bar
omet
er

Li
ght

Phot
omet
er

Wi
nddi
rect
ion

Wi
ndv
ane

Wi
ndspeed

anemomet
er
7

Humi
dit
y

Hy
dromet
er

Foodwed:f
oodwedr ef
ert
oadi
agr
ammat
icr
epr
esent
ati
onoff
oodchai
nwi
thsev
eral
int
er–
l
inkbet
weenorgani
sms.

OR

Foodweb→ isthecomplexf
eedi
ngrel
ati
onshi
pinwhichanorgani
sm hasmoret
hanone
sourceoff
ood.Ital
soaconf
usefeedi
ngrel
ati
onshi
pinwhichanorgani
sm f
eedonandi
sbei
ng
fedbymanyotherorgani
sms

Exampl
e

Man

I
nsect
s Snake

Leav
es Fi
sh

Bi
rds

Li
zar
d
Di
ff
erencesbet
weenf
oodchai
nandf
oodweb

Foodchai
n

Foodweb

I
sal
i
nearf
eedi
ngr
elat
ionshi
p

I
sacompl
exf
eedi
ngr
elat
ionshi
p

Cont
ainconsumer
sfeedi
ngononeki
ndoff
ood

Compr
isesofconsumer
sfeedi
ngondi
ff
erentki
ndsoff
ood

I
nvol
vef
eweror
gani
smsi
nthecommuni
ty

I
nvol
vemanyor
gani
smsi
nthecommuni
ty

Py
rami
dofnumber
s

Thenumberofi ndi
vidualorganismspr esentateachst ageoffoodchai ngr
adual lydecr eases.A
pyrami dofnumberi sawayofr epresent i
ngt her el
at i
onshipbet weenthenumber sofi ndiv
iduals
ateachst ageoffoodchai n.Acommuni t
ycanonl ysust ai
nitsselfift
herei
scont i
nuousf l
owof
ener gy/f
oodforeacht r
opiclevel.Inanat ur
al communi ty,
thenumberofor ganism atdi ff
erent
l
ev elsreducefr
om thebot tom tothet op.Thi sis, t
hoseatt hebot tom f
ormst hegr eatest
maj orit
yandsupplyenergyt othenex tl evel
,whi chi nturnprovidesfoodforthef oll
owi nglev el
,
untilthesmall
estmi nori
tyisreachedatt hetopl ev el
.Thus, apat t
erndevel
opst hatr esembl esa
tr
iangl eorapyr
ami d;wit
ht hepr oducerf ormingt hemaj or
ityatthebaseorbot tom, asshown
below;