Animal Interdependence Essay

Interdependence is where living organisms in a food chain/web rely on their environment and other organisms for survival purposes.

The importance of interdependence in a food web/chain- Interdependence is very important as other organisms are relying on the next organism to be their food source, without interdependence, animals and plants would struggle to survive.

What would happen if a certain plant or animal became extinct? Animals in food chains rely deeply on other animals as a source of food and protection. So if one animal went extinct, it would become a knock on effect, animal after animal would become rare to come across due to them dying out as a result of a lack of food, water and protection.

How some plants and animals are linked in food webs

Many animals are very

The ‘Nitrogen-fixing bacteria’ lives in soil. The root of the plant uses nitrogen from the air to make nitrates, and some of those nitrates enter the soil again.

• Protection- clownfish and anemones- Anemones make the perfect home for clownfish. The anemones’ tentacles provide a protection for the clownfish to protect it from sea predators such as sharks. The clownfish often feeds of the anemones leftovers. The clownfish also helps the anemones; it helps catch prey by tempting the prey towards the anemone so it can catch it. Clownfish can also eat the decayed tentacles of the anemone, helping the anemone and near areas clean.

• Detritivores- A detritivore is an animal that feeds off other decayed organisms, such as plants and animals. An example of a detritivore is a worm. Worms feed of plants, they then break down the plant then release the nutrients by excreting, the excretion sinks into the soil, which then feeds the plant, allowing it to carry on with photosynthesis, which helps the worm and other animals respire. This is a vital circle for organism survival.

The factors that affect the relationships between