INTERDEPENDENCE AMONG

LIVING ORGANISMS AND THE

ENVIROMENT :-

1) INTERDEPENDENCE AMONG LIVING

ORGANISMS

2) INTERACTIONS BETWEEN LIVING

ORGANISMS

3) FOOD WEB
 INTERDEPENDENCE AMONG LIVING
ORGANISMS
SPECIES :-
1. There are over a million different species of
animals and plants on Earth, living in groups
and interdependent on each other and their
environment.
2. A species is a group of living organisms with
common characteristics that can breed among
themselves to produce fertile offspring.
 POPULATION

A population is made up of a number of living

organisms of the same species that live and
breed in a particular habitat.
 COMMUNITY

A community is made up of many populations

living together in a particular habitat.
 HABITAT

The habitat of a living organisms is the place

where organisms live. It is the place where
living organisms obtains its food, shelter and
protection. It is also the place where the living
organisms reproduces. An example of habitat
is a pond.
 ECOSYSTEM

1) An ecosystem refers to the community of

organisms living in the same habitat, together
with the non-living environment.
2) The ecosystem is made up of biotic
components( living organisms ) and abiotic
components( non-living organisms ). Example of
ecosystems are wetland and grassland.
3) There are various habitats within and
ecosystem. For example, in grassland ecosystem.
Birds live in trees, grasshopper live in grass and
kangaroo rats live in holes.
 Interactions between living organisms
1) Living organisms cannot live alone. They interact
with each other in many ways.
2) The main cause of interaction between living
organisms is the need for food, shelter and
protections.
3) Interaction between living organisms is
important because it controls the size of
populations in a community, and creates a
balanced and stable environment.
4) Three major types of interactions between
living organisms are :- 1. prey-predator 2.
symbiosis and 3. competition.
 Prey-predator
1) A predator is the living organisms that eats
another living organisms.
2) Predator is usually bigger than prey.
3) Predators are carnivores or omnivores. They
have special adaptations such as powerful jaws,
sharp teeth, sharp claws, good vision or stronger
beaks.
4) A prey is the living organisms which the
predator eats.
5) Prey can be either carnivores, omnivores or
herbivores. They have special adaptations such as
monoscopic vision and the ability to move fast.
6) In the prey-predator relationship, predator
benefits while prey loses.
 SYMBIOSIS
Symbiosis means living together. It is a
relationship between two different living
organisms through which one of them
benefits.
There are three types of symbiosis :-
1) Commensalism
2) Mutualism
3) Parasitism
 COMMENSALISM

Commensalism is a relationship between two

living organisms in which one living organisms
( the commensal ) benefits from another ( the
host ) without damaging the host.
For example, the Remora Fish (the commensal)
is often found attached under a shark. It feeds
on the scarps of food left by the shark without
harming the shark.
 MUTUALISM

Mutualism is an interaction between two

different living organisms that benefits both.
Neither species can survive without the other
under natural conditions.
For example, a Lichen consists of a fungus and
an alga living together. The alga produces food
and the fungus provides shelter.
 PARASITISM

Parasitism is a relationship between two types of

living organisms in which one living organism
benefits while the other is harmed. Parasites
benefits by living in or on the host. On the other
hand, the host is harmed by the parasites.
Tapeworm is a parasite that obtains food and
shelter from human. Human as the host are
harmed by losing nutrients to the parasite. The
host loses weight and become weak.
 COMPETITION
Competition is a type of interaction among
living organisms in the same habitat in which
each competes for its basic needs.
Living organisms compete with each other for
food, water, shelter, mate, minerals, or light.
Two types of competition are intraspecific
competition and interspecific competition.
Intraspecific competition is the competition
between living organisms of the same species
for the same resources in an ecosystem.
Interspecific competition is the competition
between living organisms of different species
for a limit resource in the same area.
 Biological control
Biological control is a method of controlling a
certain population of living organisms. It
makes use of the prey-predator interaction,
parasitism or competition relationship. Pest
control is a major issue, especially in
agriculture. Excessive use of pesticides is
costly, causes pollution and increase the
resistance of the pest. Biological control is a
more effective way to control pests. For
example, a plantation owner uses owls and
snakes to reduce the number of rats in the oil
palms estate because owls and snakes are
natural predators of rats.
 ADVANTAGES OF BIOLOGICAL CONTROL

a) It does not effect the health of humans.

b) The pest is not resistance to the predator.
c) It does not affect or kill other organisms
because the predator feeds on a specific prey.
d) It does not cause pollution.
e) The cost is considered low.
 DISADVANTAGE OF BIOLOGICAL CONTROL

a) When a new species is introduced to an

ecosystem for biological control, it may upset
the balance of that particular ecosystem.
b) Biological control takes a longer time to
work compared with using pesticides.
c) Biological control may cause a problem if the
link between the predator and the prey is not
specific enough.
 FOOD WEB
1) Living organisms can be classified into three groups according to
their role in the ecosystem: producers, consumers, and
decomposers.
2) Produces are green plants that make their own food.
3) Consumers are living organisms that eat other living organisms or
their products. All animals are consumers.
4) Consumers can be classified into primary consumers, secondary
consumers, and tertiary consumers.
5) Primary consumers are usually herbivores which feed directly on
plants.
6) Primary consumers are fed by secondary consumers which can be
carnivores or omnivores.
7) Tertiary consumers are even bigger animals which feed on
secondary consumers.
8) Decomposers are organisms that break down dead animals and
plants into simpler substances. These substance are use by plants
for growing.
 RICE RAT SNAKE EAGLE
( PRODUCES) ( PRIMARY ) ( SECONDARY) (TERTIARY)
CONSUMER CONSUMER CONSUMER CONSUMER

BACTERIA AND FUNGI ( DECOMPOSER )

FOOD CHAIN
 RAT SNAKE
OIL PALM GRASSHOPPER OWL EAGLE
CATERPILLAR BIRD

BACTERIA AND FUNGI

( DECOMPOSER )

FOOD WEB
 PYRAMID NUMBER
The pyramid of number is a diagram that shows the
relative number of living organisms at each level of
a food chain.
Example :- TERTIARY CONSUMER
5 snakes
150 frogs SECONDARY CONSUMER

3000 grasshopperPRIMARY CONSUMER

3000000 blades of grass PRODUCER