Mark Anthony Esperida

The Science of Sharing

The study of coexisting, mutually dependent populations of different species basically deals with relationship, interaction and control. All species in a community are related to each other in one way or another. Relationships are products of many interactions that exist between species within the community. Some interactions are simple and some are complex. The quality of such interactions identifies control.
In general, only a few species exert a major controlling influence on the entire community. The control can have either a positive or negative result on other species in the community. One of the relationships that may exist between species in the community is commensalism.
Commensalism exists between two species in a community in which one species benefits from the relationship, and the other is unaffected. The term commensalism is derived from the Latin phrase com mensa which means sharing table. The original meaning describes a second animal utilizing waste food by the first animal to feed for itself. A key idea to remember is that commensalism favors one species over another in such a way that even as the favored species benefits, the other is neither harmed nor helped.
As what I have learned, there are three form of commensalism. They are phoresy, inquilism,and metabiosis.
Phoresy describes a relationship wherein one species uses another for transportation matters. An example of this is the remora benefits from the shark by using the shark as a means of transportation. The remora benefits while the shark is neither benefited nor affected.
In my readings about commensalism, I have learned about inquilism. This so-called inquilism describes the relationship wherein one species use another for housing purposes. The best example is that of birds and trees. There are birds that live on holes found on trees. They do not make the hole themselves so the tree is unaffected. The birds are benefited because they are the provided shelter from the elements. Another example of inquilism is the relationship that exists between an orchid and a tree. The orchid gets neither food nor water from trees. The benefit that the orchid derives is that it uses the tree for its attachment that is like the house or shelter of it. The orchid does not have to depend on the tree for food. It is because it has its own chlorophyll that allows to manufacture or make its own food. However, it needs the tree for support so that it can use its specialized roots to collect moisture in the air. For short, the tree does not benefit from the orchid any way. But the tree is not harmed either.
Metabiosis describes a relationship wherein one species use something that another species is created. This is an indirect kind of relationship. An example is shown by the hermit crab and the snail. When the snail dies, the hermit crab uses the dead snail's shell. The hermit crab does not affect the snail's survival but it benefits from the shell that was left behind.
Studying relationships can be interesting.

posted by markanthony @ 2:49 PM