Match List-I with List-II
| LIST-I | LIST-II |
|---|---|
| Population interactions | Features |
| (A) Mutualism | (I) One species is benefitted and other is neither benefitted nor harmed |
| (B) Competition | (II) One species is harmed and other is unaffected |
| (C) Commensalism | (III) Both the species are at loss |
| (D) Amensalism | (IV) Both the species are benefitted |
Choose the correct answer from the options given below:
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 4
The correct answer is Option (4) → (A) - (IV), (B) - (III), (C) - (I), (D) - (II)
(A) Mutualism — this matches (IV) Both the species are benefitted. In mutualism both partners gain (+/+). In a lichen, the fungus gives shelter and water, and the alga or cyanobacterium makes food for both.
(B) Competition — this matches (III) Both the species are at loss. When two species need the same limited resource, such as food or space, each gets less of it, so both suffer (−/−).
(C) Commensalism — this matches (I) One species is benefitted and other is neither benefitted nor harmed. An orchid growing on a mango branch gets support and light, while the mango tree gains nothing and loses nothing (+/0).
(D) Amensalism — this matches (II) One species is harmed and other is unaffected. One species suffers, but the other is not affected at all (−/0).
Note: A similar question was also asked in CUET (UG) 2026 on 26-05-2026 (Slot 1), in CUET (UG) 2025 on 23-05-2025 (Slot 2), and in CUET (UG) 2023 on 27-05-2023 (Slot 3).
NCERT Extract:
Population Interactions – “… Assigning a ‘+’ sign for beneficial interaction, ‘-’ sign for detrimental and 0 for neutral interaction, let us look at all the possible outcomes of interspecific interactions (Table11.1). Both the species benefit in mutualism and both lose in competition in their interactions with each other. In both parasitism and predation only one species benefits (parasite and predator, respectively) and the interaction is detrimental to the other species (host and prey, respectively). The interaction where one species is benefitted and the other is neither benefitted nor harmed is called commensalism. In amensalism on the other hand one species is harmed whereas the other is unaffected.”