The mirbin is a SPECIALIZED mammal.
HOW DO HUMANS INFLUENCE THE MIRBIN?
Humans hunt the Mirbin for it's warm and beautiful fur. They also use the Mirbin's tall horns as ice-picks for fishing in the winter time. The overhunting of Mirbins, loss of their habitat due to housing developments, and the loss of their main source of food (The Bristle-leaf Oak Tree) has lead to the species' decline. The Mirbin is almost completely conservation dependent, meaning it could not survive without the efforts launched by humans to protect it.
The BRISTLE-LEAF OAK TREE's waxy leaves are eaten by the Mirbin. When Mirbin forage they shed a coat of fur and leave it on the ground near the bristle-leaf oak tree, giving the tree a vital nutrient: NITROGEN! The tree only produces fruit when the MENJAWEE BUG secretes a sugary waste on the seeds. The seeds remain on the tree for 3-5 years then drop making it very difficult and rare for a BRISTLE-LEAF OAK TREE's seed to germinate and begin forming a new tree.
The MEWE MEWE is a small monkey-like creature that lives on the Mirbin for almost it's entire life. They ride on the Mirbin and gather plant materials to construct a nest in the Mirbin's horns. In return for the shelter and free ride the Mewe mewe keep pesky pests away from the Mirbin, which could otherwise make him sick. Since there are few Mirbin, the Mewe-mewe is also conservation dependent, with populations decreasing each year. They eat only the sweet and sugary fruit of the Bristle-leaf Oak Tree. Humans collect the fruit as well, for it is a sugary delicacy which costs quite a bit of money to eat. It is illegal to pick the fruit in areas where the Mirbin are protected.
RELATIONSHIPS
Mirbin & Bristle-leaf Oak Tree: Mutualism (they both benefit each other)
Mirbin & Mewe mewe: Mutualism (they both benefit each other)
Bristle-leaf Oak Tree & Menjawee Bug: Commensalism (One member benefits and the other neither benefits nor is harmed)
Mewe mewe & Bristle-leaf Oak Tree: Commensalism (One member benefits and the other neither benefits nor is harmed)
HUMANS & Mirbin: Predator (Hunts the Mirbin)
