Symbiotic Relationships in the Arctic Tundra
Predation
Predation is a relationship in which one organism benefits (predator; it gets food), and the other dies or is very negatively impacted. (prey).
- Arctic Wolves and Caribou. Caribou, being herbivores, are prime meat for predator wolves, who obtain energy by eating them.
- Polar Bears and Arctic Foxes. Polar Bears, being the "kings" of the tundra, enjoy feasting upon much smaller Arctic Foxes. Interestingly enough, Arctic Foxes are both predator and prey, and enjoy to eat small rodents.
Commensalism
Commensalism is a relationship in which one organism is unaffected and the other benefits. An example of this relationship would between caribou and Arctic Foxes. The caribou, being an herbivore, removes snow from the ground to eat lichens. The fox follows it, and eats the small mammals that are unearthed by the caribou. In this case, the caribou is unaffected (it gets lichens anyway, and because it is a herbivore, it doesn't want the small mammals), and the fox benefits (it gets food).