Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
This question requires matching different types of ecological interactions with their classic biological examples.
Step 2: Detailed Matching:
- A. Mutualism (+/+): An interaction where both species benefit, and the relationship is obligatory (they cannot survive without each other). The relationship between Termites and Trichonympha is a perfect example. The termite provides wood and a home, while the protozoan digests the cellulose. So, A matches II.
- B. Commensalism (+/0): An interaction where one species benefits, and the other is neither harmed nor helped. Entamoeba coli is a non-pathogenic amoeba living in the human intestine, feeding on gut contents without affecting the host. So, B matches III.
- C. Proto-cooperation (+/+): A non-obligatory mutualistic relationship. Both species benefit but can survive independently. The relationship between the sea anemone Adamsia pallia and a hermit crab is a classic example. The crab gets camouflage and protection, while the anemone gets mobility and food scraps. So, C matches IV.
- D. Antibiosis (-/0): A type of amensalism where one organism produces a chemical that inhibits or kills another. Allelopathy, where one organism secretes biochemicals that affect others, is a form of this. The relationship between certain algae like Chlorella and Diatoms can involve competition and allelopathy, where one may inhibit the other, making it a plausible (though less common) example of antibiosis in this context. So, D matches I.
Step 3: Final Answer:
The correct set of matches is A-II, B-III, C-IV, D-I. This corresponds to option (A).