What is a community?
A community consists of all interacting populations within an ecosystem.
Community Example
Snow leopards, martens, and bamboo live alongside red pandas. They are examples of animals that interact in a community.
Interspecific Competition
Interspecific competition is when individuals of different species compete for the same resources in an ecosystem. In the tropical rainforest, red pandas and martens compete for the same trees to sleep and live in.
Camouflage
Camoufalge is a disguise that renders plants and animals inconspicuous. The leaf-tailed gecko uses camouflage to blend into trees. This adaptation helps it avoid predation.
Warning Coloration
Warning coloration is bright coloration that warns predators that the potential prey is distasteful or poisonous. An example would be the poison dart frog that uses its bright colors to warn predators that it is poisonous.
Parasitism
Parasitism is an type of symbiosis in which one organism benefits and one organism is harmed. An example would be the aphid insect that lays its eggs inside of another aphid, killing it. Then it uses the body of the dead aphid as food for the larvae.
Invasive Species
An invasive species is a species introduced into an ecosystem in which it did not evolve, and are harmful to human health, the environment, or the economy of a region. In the Amazon rainforest, the wild boar is an invasive species. Because they are a foreign species, they have transmitted disease to indigenous populations. The wild boar also has a tendency to eat and destroy native plants. Wild boars are omnivores and will eat most plants.