Page 172 - Innovator's Science-8

an ecosystem.

Competition for Resources

Look at Fig. given alongside. In an ecosystem, different organisms compete
for common resources like:

• Food
• Water

• Space

• Sunlight Competition among a community in an ecosystem
This competition helps control population sizes. If there were no

competition, one species might grow too quickly and upset the balance of
the ecosystem.

Organisms in an ecosystem are interconnected and often depend on each
other in different ways. These interactions may benefit, harm, or have no
effect on the organisms involved.

Let's understand three important types:
1. Mutualism

In mutualism, two different species interact in such a way that both gain
something useful. This is a win-win situation.
Examples:

• Bees and flowers:
• Bees collect nectar from flowers for food, and

in the process, they help pollinate the flowers.
Flower gets pollinated
Bee gets nectar bee on flower
• Clownfish and sea anemone:
The clownfish gets protection from predators by living among the
anemone's stinging tentacles. The anemone gets food scraps from

the fish.
• Ants and acacia trees:
The ants protect the tree from herbivores, while the tree provides

shelter and food for the ants.
2. Commensalism

In commensalism, one organism benefits , and the other is neither
helped nor harmed.
This is a win-neutral relationship. One species gains something, while

the other remains unaffected.

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