Living things interact with and depend upon each other for survival.

Some of these interactions are positive. Living organisms can provide shelter for other organisms, while the organism that gets a home may provide protection. Some organisms groom each other to help stay clean. Some species live in groups and share food. When two organisms are in a positive interaction, both species benefit.

Some species interactions are negative, such as competition. When it comes to competition, the best fit species will win the resources. Losers of the competition struggle to survive. In a negative species interaction, one organism benefits while the other is harmed. Other examples include the relationship between predator and prey and parasite and host.

Some species interactions go unnoticed. Trees provide homes to birds, but the tree neither benefits nor is harmed. Some species feed off the scraps of others. They benefit, but the hunter is not affected.

All organisms in an ecosystem are interdependent on one another. Some interactions are necessary for survival, but sometimes it's about avoiding the interaction.