COMMUNITY

If you look around yourself you will notice that populations of plants and animals seldom occur by themselves. The reason for this is quite obvious. In order to survive individuals of any one species depend on individuals of different species with which they actively interact in several ways. A population of squirrels would require fruits and nuts for food and trees for shelter. Even plants cannot exist by themselves; for example, they require animals for , seed dispersal, pollination and soil microorganism to facilitate nutrient supply to them through decomposition.

In nature 'an aggregation of populations of different species (plant andlor animals) in an area, living together with mutual tolerance and beneficial interactions amongst themselves and with their environment, form a biotic community.

Communities in most instances are named after the dominant plant form species. A grassland, for example, is dominated by grasses, though it may contain herbs, shrubs, and trees, along with associated animals of different species.

The definition and description of the community so far must have made you aware that the size of a community is not fixed or rigid; communities may be large or small.