What Are Some Examples of Interdependence in Animals?

All herbivorous animals are interdependent with pollinating animals, as the former keep plant growth under control and the latter spreads that growth. There are many interdependent animals, but a common example is the relationship between antelope and bees.

Humans depend on animals as sources of food, many populations exclusively so. Humans may depend on access to the sea for fish, or on access to herds of domesticated animals for meat and other goods. Domesticated animals depend on their human caretakers in order to survive as many lack the ferocity and guile to survive in the wild.

Many other systems of interdependence exist in nature. Plants and oxygen-breathing organisms are interdependent because plants thrive on the carbon dioxide emitted by animals while animals depend on the oxygen emitted by plants. This is a clear expansion on the idea of animals forming interdependent relationships through the processes of evolution. A singular environment shapes its occupants along similar lines and sometimes forces interdependence to ensure mutual survival.

Food webs are graphic diagrams that illustrate the connections and dependencies between organisms. When a feedback loop is created, it illustrates the interdependence between organisms or groups of organisms. Nature is a complex system with a vast number of participatory organisms.

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