Biotic Relationships and Interactions
Biotic interactions within a community can be positive, negative, or neutral depending on the motives of each organism. There are four main categories that these interactions can fall under: antagonism, mutualism, commensalism, and competition. Mutualism and commensalism can be grouped together into the category of symbiosis because the result is essentially beneficial to one or both organisms. An example of this in the arctic would be how shrubs, sedges, and grasses help to protect each other and keep each other warm by grouping together. This can happen between plants of the same species or can occur between different types of plants. Because each organism benefits from the relationship, this would be considered a mutualistic relationship. When one organism benefits and one organism is not affected by an interaction, this is known as commensalism. A common type of antagonism that happens on a daily basis within every biome is predation. This is an interaction that benefits the predator and negatively affects the prey. An example in the arctic of predation would be when a polar bear chases, attacks, and consumes a ringed seal. The polar bear gains a meal while the seal loses its life. Competition is the only interaction that results in both organisms being negatively affected. This is usually a result of limited resources within an ecosystem. Common resources that are competed over include food, territory, water, sunlight, and sometimes even mates. Arctic foxes and red foxes compete for territory and food in the arctic now due to global warming. After humans began integrating into the arctic biome, the average temperature rose. As the environment warmed up, red foxes began to migrate north into the arctic territory. As shown in the picture, red foxes and arctic foxes struggle to live in harmony. |