Back to: Botany 500 Level
My Afrilearn pikin wey sabi!
How your body dey today? I trust say your brain still dey fresh like early morning ogi, because this lesson wey we wan yarn now go ginger you well. We don talk about abiotic factors—those things wey no get life but still dey affect plants. Today, we go turn our attention to the living things wey dey interact with plants. We dey call am biotic interactions. And I promise, you go understand am like gist.
Biotic interactions (competition, mutualism, herbivory)
Biotic interactions na the wahala and partnership wey happen between living things.
Just like how for your compound, people dey help each other or sometimes fight over space or food, plants too dey experience something similar. These interactions dey happen between plants and other living things like animals, fungi, bacteria, and even other plants. And these interactions fit be good, bad, or just neutral.
Make I break down three common types of biotic interactions wey concern plants pass:
- Competition:
This one na when two or more organisms dey struggle for the same resource wey no reach everybody. For plants, na mostly sunlight, water, and nutrients. For example, if two corn plants dey too close for farm, dem go dey drag sunlight and water. One go grow strong while the other go weak because the strong one don collect better share. Even weed dey compete with crops. That’s why farmers dey always remove weed—na to reduce competition. - Mutualism:
This one sweet well because na win-win for both parties. Mutualism na when two living things dey help each other survive. For example, think of the relationship between flowering plants and bees. The bee go collect nectar from the flower to make honey, and in the process, e go carry pollen from one flower to another. The flower go use that pollen to reproduce. Everybody win!
Another example na the relationship between leguminous plants like beans and the nitrogen-fixing bacteria wey dey their roots. The plant provide food and shelter for the bacteria, and the bacteria help the plant to get nitrogen from the air to grow well.
- Herbivory:
This one na when animals dey chop plants. Yes o, goat, cow, insects—dem dey feast on plants steady! Herbivory no dey favour plants because it dey damage their leaves, stems, or fruits. But over time, plants don develop defence. Some get thorns like rose, some get bitter taste like bitter leaf, to discourage animals from chopping them too much. Na survival strategy be that.
These biotic interactions fit shape wetin go grow for one place, how fast e go grow, or whether e go survive at all.
Summary:
Biotic interactions na the way plants relate with other living things.
- Competition – when living things dey drag the same resource
- Mutualism – both partners dey benefit
- Herbivory – when animals dey chop plants
Understanding these interactions help us manage farms better and protect our environment.
Evaluation:
- Give one example of competition between plants.
- How mutualism between bees and flowers dey benefit both?
- Mention one way plants defend themselves from herbivores.
My Afrilearn champ, you too wise!
As you dey learn all these, just dey picture how you go use this knowledge solve big environmental problems for Naija and beyond. I dey proud of how you dey carry this matter for head like say na final year project. Keep am up, because na you go lead the future! Till next time, shine dey go, my brainy superstar!
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