Amensalism

Amensalism is an interaction between two species where one impedes or restricts the success of the other while not being affected, positively or negatively, by the presence of the other. Usually this occurs when one organism exudes as part of its normal metabolism a chemical compound detrimental to another organism.

Related Topics:
Interaction - Species - Organism - Metabolism - Chemical compound

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A good example would be the destructive effect that Penicillium (bread mold) has upon many species of bacteria; Penicillium secrete penicillin (a chemical that kills bacteria).

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Another example: Black walnut trees (Juglans nigra) secrete juglone, a chemical that destroys many plants that have the misfortune of being too close to the black walnuts' root systems.

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Planst located in a chaparral (a biome characterized by little rainfall) or a desert are very dependent on the balancing effect of amensalism; their communities are stabilized by the lack of competition for scarce nutrients such as water.

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