Answer to Question 1
The sudden death of entire bee hives, known as hive or colony collapse, has reached serious proportions as many of thousands of hives mysteriously die within a short period. So far, scientists have been unable to isolate a cause for this disorder. Many have concluded that hive collapse is due to varied causes, such as pathogens, parasites, and environmental factors. Research is currently being done on this topic.
Answer to Question 2
Mutualism is a relationship that benefits both species of animal. An example is the bacteria living in the rumen of cattle. The cattle provide the bacteria with food and a place to live, and the bacteria help the cattle break down fibers into a digestible form. Commensalism is the relationship of animals when one benefits and the other is not harmed. An example is the relationship between cattle and houseflies. The housefly must lay its eggs in the feces of animals. The fly benefits from the feces deposited by the cattle, but the cattle are not affected. Parasitism is a relationship that benefits one animal and harms another. An example is sleeping sickness in horses in which insects bite and suck blood from the animal, causing harm.