A keystone species that is important to many different communities in the Philippines is the fresh water crocidile, otherwise known as the Philippines Crocidile. They are esential in every ecosystem they live in because when the crocidiles are little, they act as prey for larger animals such as birds. When older however, they act as predators and help keep populations of fish, shimp, and water snails balanced.
Tropical Storm Washi flushed the town with pounds and pounds of salt water, ruining the Philippines Island main sources of drinking water and fresh water lakes, swamps and marshes as well. The mixture of salt water with the fresh water forces the crocidiles, as well as the crocidiles prey to either find a source of fresh water or adapt to the salt water. This would cause a decrease in the crocidiles, increasing the shrimp and fish population. Or, the fish and shrimp populations would die off and the crocidiles would have no source of food and eventually die off as well. So Tropical Storm Washi greatly affected the Crocidiles main resource: fresh water.
COMPETITION
The salt water and fresh water mixture caused a lot of competition between organisms. These are just a few examples of this competition: Crocidiles and other fresh water predators, like a piranha, would compete for any food source they can find. That would be an example of interspecific competition. Again using our keystone species, two crocidiles would compete for a food source as well. This would be an example of intraspecific competition.
RELATIONSHIPS
Tropical Storm Washi affected many other relationships in this community as well. A herbivory relationship, or a relationship usually dealing with a producer and a consumer, would be a fresh water plant that normally would be eaten by other fresh water animals. The storm would affect the ability for the plant to grow because of the mixture of fresh and salt water. An example of predation would be crocidiles and fish. Crocidiles hunt, kill and eat the fish. Again, the mixture of fresh and salt water would decrease the amount of fish. An example of parasitism would be tapeworms and himans. The flood affected this relationship by increasing the tapeworm population. Many areas that were hit by Tropical Storm Washi became contaminated with different bacterias. An example of a mutualistic relationship would be between bacteria and humans. Humans need bacteria to survive; the human intestine has five hundred to one thousand different bacteria that help digest food. Tropical Storm Washi caused an outbreak of a deadly bacteria called leptopsirosis. It is spread by animals or contact with infected soil and causes flu like symptoms then escalades to vomiting and/or diarrhea then eventually death. Commensalism relationship would be between mangroves and fihs. The mangroves are a shelter to the fish and many of the fishes prey. Too much flooding of a mangrove swamp would cause food shortages for the fish.
Tropical Storm Washi flushed the town with pounds and pounds of salt water, ruining the Philippines Island main sources of drinking water and fresh water lakes, swamps and marshes as well. The mixture of salt water with the fresh water forces the crocidiles, as well as the crocidiles prey to either find a source of fresh water or adapt to the salt water. This would cause a decrease in the crocidiles, increasing the shrimp and fish population. Or, the fish and shrimp populations would die off and the crocidiles would have no source of food and eventually die off as well. So Tropical Storm Washi greatly affected the Crocidiles main resource: fresh water.
COMPETITION
The salt water and fresh water mixture caused a lot of competition between organisms. These are just a few examples of this competition: Crocidiles and other fresh water predators, like a piranha, would compete for any food source they can find. That would be an example of interspecific competition. Again using our keystone species, two crocidiles would compete for a food source as well. This would be an example of intraspecific competition.
RELATIONSHIPS
Tropical Storm Washi affected many other relationships in this community as well. A herbivory relationship, or a relationship usually dealing with a producer and a consumer, would be a fresh water plant that normally would be eaten by other fresh water animals. The storm would affect the ability for the plant to grow because of the mixture of fresh and salt water. An example of predation would be crocidiles and fish. Crocidiles hunt, kill and eat the fish. Again, the mixture of fresh and salt water would decrease the amount of fish. An example of parasitism would be tapeworms and himans. The flood affected this relationship by increasing the tapeworm population. Many areas that were hit by Tropical Storm Washi became contaminated with different bacterias. An example of a mutualistic relationship would be between bacteria and humans. Humans need bacteria to survive; the human intestine has five hundred to one thousand different bacteria that help digest food. Tropical Storm Washi caused an outbreak of a deadly bacteria called leptopsirosis. It is spread by animals or contact with infected soil and causes flu like symptoms then escalades to vomiting and/or diarrhea then eventually death. Commensalism relationship would be between mangroves and fihs. The mangroves are a shelter to the fish and many of the fishes prey. Too much flooding of a mangrove swamp would cause food shortages for the fish.