What is the term for interdependent relationships in ecosystems?

The term for interdependent relationships in ecosystems is best represented by symbiotic relationships. Symbiosis refers to the close and often long-term interactions between different biological species. These relationships can be mutualistic, where both species benefit; commensalistic, where one species benefits while the other is neither helped nor harmed; or parasitic, where one species benefits at the expense of the other.

In the context of ecosystems, interdependence is a crucial concept, as the survival and success of different species often hinge on their interactions with one another. For instance, plants and pollinators engage in a mutualistic relationship where plants provide nectar to pollinators, and in return, pollinators help plants with reproduction by spreading their pollen.

While ecological networks and community interactions provide a broader framework for understanding relationships within ecosystems, they do not explicitly define the nature of those relationships in terms of interdependence. Food chains illustrate the flow of energy and nutrients rather than the direct interactions among species. Thus, symbiotic relationships encapsulate the concept of interdependence most accurately.