Species Interaction
There is a variety of interactions among the different species in the Great Basin.
Predator-Prey |
A predator-prey interaction involves a predator hunting, capturing, killing, or consuming a prey.
|
Great Basin Example: Mountain lions prey on mule deer and elk. In this case, mountain lions are the predators and mule deer and elk are the prey.
Herbivory |
Herbivory involves an animal consuming a plant for food.
|
Great Basin Example: Mule deer eat plants and weeds found in the ecosystem.
Parasitism |
Parasitism involves a parasite depending on a host for a benefit of some kind (most commonly for nourishment)
|
Resource Partitioning |
Resource partitioning is a process where species divide their common resources by specializing in different ways to minimize competition.
|
Great Basin Example: The variety of birds that live in the Great Basin use resource partitioning to find for food. For example, while the Common Poor-will catches bugs from the ground, the Red-naped Woodpecker hunts for insects by poking its beak through tree trunks in search of food.
Great Basin Example: Over one-hundred different species of butterflies find homes in the Great Basin. Butterflies are known for pollination, which benefits both the plants being pollinated and the butterflies themselves.
Commensalism |
Commensalism is a relationship where one species benefits and the other is unaffected.
|
Great Basin Example: The singleleaf pinyon pine grows better in areas of the Great Basin where juniper trees are present. This is because of the shade juniper trees provide. In this case, singleleaf pinyon pines benefit while junipers remain unaffected.
The definitions of the various interactions came from the environmental science textbook. The pictures and examples specific to the Great Basin came from the National Park Service website.