What are some symbiotic relationships in the Amazon Forest?

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Birds and mammals love to eat fruits from trees. When fruits are dropped from fruit trees, even fish go for them. The Amazon River has fish that eat fruit falling from trees. When animals eat the fruit, it helps the tree. The seeds from the fruit are taken by the animals, and scattered through different parts of the rain forest. Then the seeds grow into trees throughout different parts of the rain forest.


Life in the rainforests is competitive and countless species have developed complex symbiotic relationships with other species in order to survive.





MUTUALISM is a symbiotic relationship is a relationship where both participant species benefit mutually. For example:-


1. ants have symbiotic relationships with countless rainforest species including plants, fungi, and other insects. One symbiotic relationship exists between ants and caterpillars. Certain caterpillar species produce sweet chemicals from ';dew patches'; on their backs, upon which a certain ant species will feed. In return, the ants vigorously protect the caterpillar and have even been observed carrying the caterpillar to the nest at night for safety. This relationship appears to be species specific in that only one caterpillar species will cater to a particular ant species.





2.Capuchin monkeys lap nectar from flowers in trees as part of their varied diet. In the process they get pollen on their faces and pollinate the flowers.





3.Bacteria and protozoans inhabit the guts of termites and sloths, breaking down the plant cellulose which would otherwise be indigestible to the larger animal.





4.Sloth hairs are grooved, which allows algae to easily take hold and grow on the sloth's fur. This camouflages the sloth and allows the algae to get closer to the sunlight.





5.The flower of the largest water lily in the Amazon opens at night with a bright white color. This attracts beetles, who crawl around in the flower lapping the nectar it produces. At dawn the flower closes, imprisoning the beetles. This ensures that they will be well-coated with pollen when they are released the following night. To prevent the beetle from pollinating the same flower, the flower changes to a beautiful pink, which does not tempt the beetle to return.





COMMENSALISM (One benefits %26amp; one not affected) Eg:-





1.Antbirds travel with army ants, eating the small vertebrates and insects which are flushed out by the advancing army. The ants still get plenty to eat and the birds never eat the army ants themselves, but the birds do no good for the ants, either.





2.Flower mites which feed on pollen hitchhike from one flower to a fresher one by climbing into the nasal passages of hummingbirds and disembarking when carried to a better flower.





PARASITISM Eg:-





1. The leaf cutter ant parasitic fly lays its eggs only on the backs of leaf-cutter ants targeting porters who are carrying leaves. The larvae burrow into the ant's body after hatching and feed on it, killing it.





http://www.saverfn.org/lessonssymb.html


http://rainforests.mongabay.com/0202.htm