Ecology: Adaptations, Interdependence and Competition

Organisms have special features known as adaptations that allow them to survive in their natural habitats.
Adaptations can be behavioural, such as a bird migrating to avoid harsh winter; physical like thick fur in polar bears for insulation; or physiological, for example, a snake producing venom to paralyse its prey.
Xerophytes are plant species adapted to live in deserts they have small leaves or spines to reduce water loss and deep-reaching roots to access water sources far below the surface.
Behavioural adaptations influence the way an organism acts. Camouflage is an example where the organism blends in with its surroundings for protection or to aid hunting.
Extremophiles are microorganisms that are adapted to withstand extreme conditions such as volcanic vents, deep-sea trenches, or Antarctic ice.

Interdependence refers to the co-dependence of species on each other for survival. For instance, bees rely on flowers for nectar, and flowers rely on bees for pollination.
In communities, changes to the population of one species can impact others. This can lead to a domino effect, as each species depends on others within the community.
Symbiotic relationships are close, long-term interactions between different species. Mutualism, commensalism, and parasitism are types of symbiotic relationships.
In mutualism, both species benefit. For example, bees get nectar from flowers while aiding their pollination.
In parasitism, one species, the parasite, benefits at the expense of the host, e.g., fleas on a dog.
In commensalism, one species benefits while the other is neither harmed nor benefited, like barnacles on a whale.

Organisms often compete for resources in an ecosystem. This competition can be intraspecific (within species) or interspecific (between different species).
Resources include food, water, mates, territory, and light (for plants).
The competitive exclusion principle states that two species competing for the same resources cannot coexist at constant population values.
The species better adapted to compete for the resource will survive, while the other species may become extinct, this is often referred to as Survival of the Fittest.
However, individuals may show resource partitioning, sharing resources by using them at different times, in different ways or in different places, helping to reduce competition.
Some plants exhibit allelopathy where they release chemicals into the environment to inhibit the growth and survival of other plants, thereby reducing competition.