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globalbioticinteractions / cynipidaeNorthAmerica

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Dataset term mapping #3

Open seltmann opened 3 years ago

seltmann commented 3 years ago

@adeans suggested that. "Has host" might be fine: X 'has host' y if and only if: x is an organism, y is an organism, and x can live on the surface of or within the body of y. It leaves off the plant manipulation element (galls don't normally exist on/in the body of the plant), which is really key.

I see some other ones that look interesting: acquires nutrients from (true, but doesn't include the plant manipulation element) symbiotically interacts with (also true, but too general) I think if has epiphyte / epiphyte of exists in RO then we are justified in adding galler of / galled by to RO.

seltmann commented 3 years ago

@jhpoelen is presently a curator of RO, so we could: 1) propose an improved definition of hasHost, and/or 2) define galler of / galled by for RO.   One question you just raised that I always assumed. Since hasHost is a subclass of  participates in a biotic-biotic interaction with (http://purl.obolibrary.org/obo/RO_0002574), would that imply they are organisms. I assumed that it must be an organism to be biotic? 

seltmann commented 3 years ago

From @adeans I like the idea of defining the galler / galled by relationship. We'll add it to our "to do" list.

The biotic-biotic relationship to me doesn't necessarily imply that each is a whole organism but rather that one is a whole organism (or virus? Is that an organism?) and the other is a whole organism or product or part of an organism. What about a caterpillar that eats a fruit? Is that an interaction with the plant that made the fruit? What is the fruit had already fallen to the forest floor? Or bees that collect oils from flowers?

I suppose a galler interacts with the plant by inducing it to produce a novel structure (the gall) that sustains and protects that galler. In some ways it's a parasitic relationship, in that the plant diverts resources to making a structure for an insect. But sometimes these galls benefit the plant, for example by producing a nectar that recruits ants (that maybe reduce herbivores; I think there is some evidence for this) or providing shelter for predators (mites, spiders) that feed on herbivores.

That'll give me something to think about when I need to meditate!