What are Short-Term Relationships?
There are two types of short-term relationships which are predation and competition. The short-term relationships usually involves violence and most of the time results in death. Competition and Predation relationships can be always found in any ecosystem. These types of relationships usually involves two organisms (Predator vs Prey or Predator vs Predator). There are many predation and competition relationships in temperate and tropical grasslands. These interactions can be either harmful or beneficial to an organism.
Predation Relationships
Predation relationships are between two organisms, a predator and the prey. One organism eats all the other parts of another organism. This relationship is also called Predator vs Prey. This relationship is very common in tropical grasslands, where organisms have to hunt several times a day to survive. This relationship most likely involves death of one of the organisms but not always. Animals that have weapons which benefit them in a fight are more likely going to win. For example lions have sharp claws and sharp teeth which make them extremely dangerous and not to be messed with.
Some examples of a predation relationships are:
Some examples of a predation relationships are:
- a lion hunting for his dinner which is a deer.
- a hyena hunting for a deer
- are the lion attacking a wildebeest
Why is Predation Relationships Important?
Predation relationships are important for many reasons. Firstly predation relationships provide a food source for the predator which is vital for survival. Secondly this relationship keeps control of the ecosystem's population. Without predators an ecosystem will be overpopulated with organisms. For example if a lion did not eat deers there would be an overpopulation of deer. There is not enough grass and plants to support the rising number of deer if lions did not hunt for them. An ecosystem is only balanced if there is a constant amount of predators, prey and plants.
Competition Relationships
Competition relationships occur when organisms require the same resource such as food in the same location at the same time. The relationship is centered around requiring food. This relationship is also very violent. Competition relationships occur virtually in every ecosystem in nature. This relationship often results in the survival of the fittest. In other words there is always a winner and a loser. There are two types of competition relationships, intraspecies (same species) and interspecies (two different species). This relationship can involve several organism at once.
Some example of a competition relationship are
Some example of a competition relationship are
- A mother lion hunts against another mother lion for a deer to supply food for their cubs
- A hyena hunts against a wild-beast for a muskrat to survive
- A vulture hunts for a dead animal while a lion tries to take it away
Why is Competition Relationships Important?
Competition relationships are important for several reasons in a grassland. If one organism is no longer present the other organism does not have to worry about competing with that organism any more, which can be beneficial. But there is a possibility of it competing with another organism which could be more harmful than the last one.