The scientific theory of biogeocenosis was created by the Russian scientist V. Sukachev. It gives an exhaustive description of natural complexes, and also studies the diverse types of interactions between parts of the ecosystem: plants, animals, microorganisms. Particularly serious studies of the forms of biotic relationships were carried out by another Russian scientist, V. Beklemishev, who singled out four types of them. It should be noted that topical connections are one of the most common types of interactions of natural biocomplexes in ecology. They will be studied in this article.
Consortium concept
Before studying the question of how topical connections are formed in a biocenosis, it is necessary to get acquainted with the biological essence of the concept of consortium. It refers to long-term, interconnectedrelations of several organisms that depend on individuals of a productive species - a consort. The most commonly encountered organisms that fulfill this role are plants or animals. They serve as a core that provides individuals of other species, primarily food and protection. Living individuals in relation to the inconsort can be endoconsorts, for example, round or tapeworms - helminths of domestic animals and humans. Ecoconsorts are organisms that live on the surface (individuals that are the nucleus, for example, cleaner fish that live on the body of a shark).
If they have occasional contact with an inconsort, they are called exoconsorts (like honey bees that collect nectar from certain plant species).
Trophic and topical connections in various consortia
If the core is represented by one organism, then such a community is called an individual, and if it is an entire population or even representatives of the entire biological species, then such a consortium is called a population consortium. Trophic and topical connections arise especially quickly in individuals in a synusial consortium. In this case, one ecobiomorph is formed - a group of autotrophic plant organisms with similar anatomical and physiological features and living in similar abiotic conditions. For example, a group of moderately moisture-loving plants of the gymnosperm department - conifers (fir, spruce, larch), growing in a common area - range, forms a synusial consortium.
Works by V. Beklemishev
To describe all the complex and diverse relationships of organisms that arise within the biogeocenosis, taking into account the spatial arrangement of individuals in relation to each other, the Russian scientist Beklemishev used the term topical connections. Examples illustrating their formation prove that some organisms affect others as a result of changes in environmental factors. As the scientist himself said, the result of topical connections is the conditioning of abiotic environmental factors, that is, the formation by one living organism of some special physical and chemical conditions for the existence of individuals of another species. Thus, Beklemishev introduced the concept of topical connections into modern science. So in a freshwater biocenosis - a lake, you can count more than 125 examples of topical relationships of plant and animal organisms.
For example, the species of dragonflies Lyutka lays eggs in the parenchyma of the leaves of aquatic plants, such as the arrowhead, the yellow egg, and individuals of the species Arrow - on the lower part of the leaf blade of the same plants. Hydrobionts living in a freshwater lake mainly use plants as a substrate for preserving eggs and feeding larvae, and adults of the same species - hydrobionts - live on the leaves, stems and roots of aquatic plants - producers.
The role of plants in the formation of topical connections
Representatives of flora not only create the basic conditions for the life of other organisms, but also actively influence abiotic factors themselves. So, thanks to the vast forests of tropical andSiberian forests, a huge number of organisms live in these areas in a special microclimate created by photosynthetic plants.
It is characterized by a more comfortable temperature and optimal humidity. This favorably affects the vital activity of mammals, birds and insects - the inhabitants of the tropical jungle and taiga. The topical connections, examples of which we examined above, indicate that, along with trophic interactions, they play a dominant role in natural ecosystems.
Relationships between organisms in the Arctic biocenosis
Interesting facts about topical connections can be given by studying the natural complex of the Arctic. In spring, a huge number of seabirds arrive in the tundra and on the islands of the Arctic Ocean: guillemots, eiders, and guillemots. They arrange bird markets. During the egg-laying period (end of May - beginning of June), birds occupy sheer cliffs, sitting on bare ledges very close to each other. The neighbors of waterfowl are typical predators - snowy owls.
They not only feed on young guillemots or guillemots, but at the same time protect the entire area of nesting waterfowl from attacks by arctic foxes and other predators. Topical connections, examples of which we have considered above, contribute to the survival of individuals of various species living in extreme climatic conditions of the Arctic zone.
Features of the formation of topical connections in the biocenosis of the taiga
Research by V. Beklemishev proved that the basistopical connections between organisms is a change in the parameters of the existence of individuals of one biological species as a result of the vital activity of organisms of another species. For example, the habitats of the Siberian pine (Siberian cedar) attract many inhabitants of the taiga: squirrels, chipmunks, sables and, of course, various bird species. One of them is a nutcracker. Individuals of this species are brightly colored birds with a long and pointed beak. They feed on pine nuts and store them under a layer of taiga moss. Forgetting about these supplies, birds contribute to the spread of the most valuable species - the Siberian cedar.
Types of relationships between organisms in deciduous forests
The topical connections we have studied, examples of the formation of which we have considered in the ecosystems of the Arctic and taiga, will be incomplete if we do not find out the fact that such relationships can also have a negative value. So, small hymenopterous insects - nutcrackers live in oak forests. With their ovipositor, females pierce the skin of oak leaves and inject an egg into their parenchyma. The larva that hatches from it secretes saliva, under the influence of which a pathological growth of the leaf occurs, called the "gall". In it, the larva is well protected from many enemies, but the plant itself reduces photosynthetic activity, as the leaves are affected by pest larvae.
Topical connections that arise between organisms - hydrobionts
A vivid example of interactions, called topical by Russian scientist Beklemishev, can bethe vital activity of some species of fish, called "cleaners" on the surface of the body of large aquatic inhabitants - sharks and whales. For example, a species such as a wrasse or some types of sea shrimp are orderlies for most inhabitants of warm seas. The skin of sharks and whales is often damaged by parasitic invertebrates, such as amphipods, isopods. By feeding on them, cleaners save their "clients" from infectious diseases caused by pathogenic skin parasites. Thus, one biological species can form not only food interactions with individuals of another species, but also affect its metabolism, as well as vital activity.
Summing up, we can confidently state that the topical connections, examples and formation of which we examined in this article, provide complex and diverse types of interactions, both direct and indirect, between individuals of various species that are part of natural ecosystems - biocenoses.
