COOPERATION IN Nature

ELIZABETH DENLEY is an ecologist, who has spent most of her life learning from the natural world. Here she explores cooperation in Nature, and what we can learn from this very common behavior, if we are to continue to survive on planet Earth.

- ELIZABETH DENLEY

Up until the second half of the 20th century, most scientists thought that the relationships between species in the natural world were conflictual. They assumed that plants and animals either competed for resources or ate each other. The world was painted as an aggressive place, “red in tooth and claw.” That all changed around 60 years ago, when naturalists and ecologists started to notice just how many species cooperate and collaborate.

This shift in worldview also coincided with a shift away from colonialism and toward a more collaborative vision for human societies. We are still in a transition phase, as the older structures and belief systems have not fully disappeared. I find it very helpful to explore friendship and cooperation in Nature, to see if we can learn a thing or two about how it operates at a very fundamental evolutionary level.

It turns out that we had a very narrow understanding of the Darwinian concept of “the evolution of the fittest.” “Fittest” doesn’t have to mean competitive advantage over others, climbing the ladder of success. That is a very outdated notion. “Fittest” can be the most effective collaborators, those who create a robust interdependent web of existence.

Naturalists use the word “symbiosis” to describe the relationships between species in ecosystems, and the most common types of symbiosis are:

Mutualism – a mutually beneficial relationship.

Commensalism – a relationship where one species benefits while the other is not harmed.