Species interactions refer to the ways in which species interact with each other within an ecosystem. These can include predation, competition, symbiosis (mutualism, commensalism, parasitism), and more.
Think of a high school. Each student (species) has different relationships with others - some are friends (mutualism), some just share the same space without affecting each other (commensalism), some bully others or get bullied (predation or competition), and some have a one-sided relationship where only one benefits at the expense of the other (parasitism).
Predation: This is when one organism hunts and eats another for sustenance.
Competition: This occurs when two or more species vie for the same limited resource.
Symbiosis: A long-term interaction between two different biological organisms that may be mutually beneficial (mutualistic), harmful to one party (parasitic), or neutral for one party while benefiting the other (commensalistic).
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