Species Interactions and Community Assembly

Community assembly is the process by which species interact with each other and their environment to form a community.

Commensalism is not a type of species interaction because it does not involve a direct interaction between two species.

Mutualism is the process by which one species benefits from another species without harming it.

Predation is the process by which one species harms another species.

Competition is the process by which two species compete for the same resources.

Amensalism is the process by which one species inhibits the growth or survival of another species without benefiting from it.

A bee pollinating a flower is an example of mutualism because both the bee and the flower benefit from the interaction.

A lion eating a zebra is an example of predation because the lion benefits from the interaction while the zebra is harmed.

Two lions fighting over a territory is an example of competition because both lions are trying to obtain the same resource.

A barnacle living on a whale is an example of amensalism because the barnacle benefits from the interaction while the whale is harmed.

Ecological succession is the process by which a community of species changes over time.

Habitat selection is the process by which species select their habitat.

Competition is the process by which two species compete for the same resources.

Sea otters are an example of a keystone species because they play a critical role in maintaining the health of their ecosystem.

Coral reefs are an example of a foundation species because they create a habitat for a wide variety of other species.