O tenancy it is an ecological relationship that occurs between individuals of different species, being, therefore, an interspecific relationship. In this type of relationship, one of the individuals involved is looking for shelter, for housing.
In tenancy, a species lives (tenant) on or within the other species involved without causing it any harm. It can be seen there that only one species benefits from the interaction. Often, this ecological relationship ends up being confused with commensalism, however, in the latter, the resource sought is food, not just shelter.
As a prime example of teninism, we can highlight the orchids and bromeliads, plants that live on top of others. These plant species do not remove any nutrients from the trees, which only serve as support. As such, they are not considered parasites. Orchids and bromeliads are called epiphytes, a word of Greek origin that means “about plant”.
You may be wondering what is the advantage for these plants of living on large trees and not taking anything away from them. In this case, the benefit generated is that in the higher portions of the tree, they get more light to carry out the photosynthesis process. As these plants live inside forests, getting light is a difficult job for small plants.
Another example of tenancy that we can mention is the relationship between the billfish and sea cucumber. The garfish live inside the sea cucumber as a form of protection, however, it does not remove nutrients from the echinoderm and does not harm it.
Previously, clownfish and anemones were considered an example of tenantism, but over time, it was realized that fish were feeding on the anemone's food debris. Therefore, this relationship came to be known as an example of commensalism, as it offered more than housing.
IMPORTANT: Some authors consider tenancy as a form of commensalism, since, in both cases, two different species are associated and only one is benefited.
By Ma. Vanessa dos Santos
