Cool Cooperation: Animals and Plants Balancing Nature

Symbiosis is the interaction of two different organisms living together, usually with mutual benefits. There are many examples of symbiosis in our world’s diverse ecosystems, one of which is the leafcutter ants and their special crop. The original farmers on earth are thought to be the leafcutter ants. They have been intensively farming fungi in the tropical rainforests of South America as early as 60 million years ago. These ants forage for vegetation, not intending to eat it as food, but to munch the leaves into a pulp for fungi to eat which are the real source of nutrition for the ants.