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Different species compete to survive and breed. The size of a predator population depends on the size of the prey population, and the reverse is true as well. Mutualism benefits both species involved in the relationship, but parasitism only benefits the parasite, not the host.
Competition
Habitats have limited amounts of the resources needed by living organisms. Organisms must compete with others in order to get enough of these resources to survive. If they are unsuccessful and cannot move to another habitat, they will die.
Animals
Some of the resources that animals compete for:
- food
- water
- space
Animals may also compete for mates so that they can reproduce.
Plants
Remember that plants make their own food using photosynthesisphotosynthesis: The chemical change that occurs in the leaves of green plants. It uses light energy to convert carbon dioxide and water into glucose. Oxygen is produced as a by-product of photosynthesis., so they do not compete for food. Here are some of the things that plants do compete for:
- light
- water
- space
- mineral salts
Human beings
Human beings are very successful organisms. We compete with animals for food resources, and we compete with both animals and plants for space and water.
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