Disadvantages Of Mutualism

Organisms require the interaction with other biotic and abiotic factors for a harmonious existence in this nature and is crucial to its existence as well as the functioning of the whole ecosystem (Elton 1968).Depending upon the strength, duration, direction of their effects and mechanism of the interaction,these interactions can be further classified and it spans from species interacting only once in their lifetime (e.g. pollination) to those which completes their entire life in another (e.g. endosymbiosis). The interactions may be detrimental as consumption of the other as in the case of predation, herbivory, or cannibalism or may be advantageous to both as in mutualism. It is not mandatory that the effects of interactions are always direct.It can be also incidental through mediaries such as shared resources or common enemies. Positive and negative interactions are the two types of interactions based on whether the interactions are beneficial or harmful to at least one of the interacting partners . Positive interactions may benefit both the partners or it may be beneficial to only one partner. The benefits can be food, shelter, substratum or transportation. Two major types of

Mutualism can be of two types obligate or facultative.The organisms are completely dependent on each other for their existence in the case obligate mutualism. The best example for this is the extinction of the Mauritian "calvaria"tree, following the extinction of the dodo bird. some scientists are of the opinion that the seeds of the tree would germinate only if its ingested and digested by the bird. Symbiotic association between algae and fungi,Lichens best example for facultative mutualism in which neither the algae nor the fungus is able to live alone. But it will be more beneficial if they both live