

Shenandoah National Park
Relationships Between Organisms
Everywhere a person looks they can see a relationship between two organisms, whether it is positive or negative. On this page the symbiotic relationships between organisms living in Shenandoah National park will be explored. First there will be a food web that shows the transfer of engergy between organims, and then various symbiotic relationships between organisms livng in the national park will be analyzed and described. Relationships between organisms are a crucial part of every ecosystem and are important to understand.

The Food Web
A food web shows all possible energy transfers between a specific group of organims. In this food web all of the organisms live in and can be found in the Shenandoah National Park . In the food web there are two producers, two herbivores, two carnivores, and one decomposer. The animals that you will see in the food web are : the interrupted fern, the witch hazel plant, the grey squirrel, the white-tailed deer, the black bear, the bobcat, and the morel mushroom. Food webs are present in every ecosystem and are important to understand due to the fact that it shows all possible ways that energy can be transferred between a specific group of organisms.
In order to understand how a food web showcases the relationship, each part of it must be explained. The arrows that are present in the food web point from the predator to prey or from the first animal which is going to be eaten by the second animal. The cycle then continues from there, until all organisms have reached the decomposer. You can find an example of a food web for Shenandoah National Park below.

Symbiotic Relationships
Symbiotic relationships are a natural part of life and can be found practically everywhere, the relationships are present in every ecosystem, in every biome, even in the depths of the ocean. There are various types of symbiotic relationships, which will all be showcased below. The three types of symbiotic relationships are: mutualism, commensalism, and parasitism. In mutualism both organisms that take part in the relationship are benefited. In commensalism only one of the organisms benefits form the relationships, but the other does not benefit or get harmed. Lastly, in parasitism one of the parties in the relationship benefits, while the other is harmed due to the other. There are various examples of each symbiotic relationships in Shenandoah which consist of some of its most plentiful organisms. There will be examples of each relationship below.
Mutualism: An example of mutualism in Shenandoah National park is that of the black bear and bear lice. The black bear benefits the relationship because the lice eats any debris that can be found on the bear and protects it from miniscule dangers whilst also keeping it clean. The lice benefits because the bear provides a safe environment for it to live and a large amount of food for it to consume.

Commensalism: An example of commensalism in Shenandoah is that of lichens and trees. Lichens are combinations of fungus and algae that grow together in a way that seems like moss. The lichens then grow on the barks of trees, the tree, which is the host, neither benefits or gets harmed by this relationship. Whilst the lichens receive the nutrients and moisture they need in order to survive from the plant they are growing on.

Parasitism: An example of parasitism in Shenandoah is fleas and the wolves that live there. The fleas live off of the nutirents that they take from the wolves in order to survive therefore they benefit from the relationship. Whilst the wolves that are attacked by the fleas are harmed by this relationship because their nutirents are being stolen and they are becoming weaker. Also the fleas are bothersome and cause uncontrolable itches to occur in the wolves which could become painful.

References:
Brilla. (Photographer). Shenandoah National Park sign [Print Photo]. Retrieved from http://www.panoramio.com/photo/25064468
Brown. (Photographer). Shenandoah Coyotes [Print Photo]. Retrieved from http://www.shenandoahviews.com/coyotes-in-shenandoah-park.html
Lichens Pink [Print Photo]. Retrieved from http://saratogawoodswaters.blogspot.com/2011/10/up-mountain-with-ecos-friends.html
NatureWorks. (Photographer). Black bear [Print Photo]. Retrieved from http://www.nhptv.org/natureworks/blackbear.html