Assignment 4

      Some abiotic factors the plant relies on includes the sun, soil, water , weather.  All these factors support the plants growth and health.  Some biotic factors that affect the plant are other plants stealing our plants nutrients and bugs eating the leaves and infecting the plant.  Others also include human pollution destroying air and blocking the sun.  Some insects do help the plant pollinate and grow.  Most try to eat the plant or take its resources.

      I know the plants are engaged in competition because two different species are living in the same space and want the same resources.  All the plants are competing for nutrients, space, sun, water, and pollinators.  The other competitors include weeds, other plant, trees, and bugs.

      The winners of competition is the one that lives to grow and reproduce.  The loser dies off and gives more nutrients to the others to live.  Some times the winner and loser isn't always clear.  Sometimes its just the winner lives and the loser dies.  Sometimes its unclear who wins and loses because they both still live on and survive but one flourishes and the other doesn't grow as big.

      The plant is also in a symbiosis relationship with multiple insects.  Bees come and pollinate the plant so it can produce off spring and the bee also gets food so that is mutualism.  Sometimes there is parasitism like weeds.  Weeds root intp0 the plant and steal its nutrients so it cant grow.  All these effect how the plant will grow and produce.

     There is secondary succession happening in the garden because there was soil already her and there were weed everywhere.  We can see this because more plants are sprouting up besides the ones we planted.  They are now a community.

Blog Post Assignment #4

There are many factors that can, and do, affect the development of our plant. These factors can be separated into two groups: biotic and abiotic factors. Some examples of biotic factors include animals living in the area, insects, and even other plants. Animals in the area or insects might try to eat the leaves or stem, which will be harmful to the plant. This will affect the plant’s growth negatively. Other plants near our plant can also be affecting its growth, as they create competition for resources such as water. As stated previously, abiotic factors can also have an impact on the plant's development. Some of these factors are: water, sunlight, weather, and soil. If the plant cannot get sunlight and water, it will not be able to perform photosynthesis to create food for itself. This can also have an impact on the plant’s growth.

Our plant is in competition with other plants for the different resources that it needs to survive. We can know this because we already know that both our plants and the other plants all need water, sunlight, and space to grow. These are all sources that are intended to be shared by the plants in the box. However, this is not how it will work out. The plants compete to obtain the full amount resources that they need.

The winners in a competition are the plants that survive and continue being healthy. The losers in the competition are often are not as healthy, or are ultimately dead. It might not always be obvious to outside observers which plant is the winner and which plant is the loser.

There is not only competition in the garden however. There are some relationships between the plants and the animals that can either help, harm, or simply coexist with the plants. For example, the plants might have a parasitism relationship with insects that are eating the plant. This is only benefitting the insects, and not the plant.

Some evidence that proves that succession is happening in the garden is the fact that there is soil and a sort of mulch made from the previous plants old parts after they died.This is secondary succession.

Student Blog Post Assignment #4: An Ecological Analysis of Our Plants

                By Ryan Keeney

                  The abiotic factors that our kohlrabi plants depend on include the amount of sunlight they get, the amount of water they get, as well as the soil they are planted in. Currently, the plants are in a position where they can receive lots of sunlight, and they are watered regularly. Biotic factors that may affect our plants include competition from other plants, including unwanted weeds, as well as insects that may cause damage to the plants.

                We know that the plants are in competition with each other because they all require the same things, water, sunlight, and nutrients from the soil. Since the plants are growing close to each other, they are naturally competing for these resources. Our plants are competing with each other, as well as other lab groups' plants. They are also competing with weeds that have grown in the garden which were not planted by humans.

                 Determining which plants are winners or losers of this struggle for resources is based on which plant is the most successful. Success, however, is sometimes difficult to determine. It is sometimes difficult to define what success is. A plant may not grow as large as the other, but it may spread more seeds and have a higher chance of reproducing than the other. Sometimes, a winner can not be determined at all.

               Some interactions which the kohlrabi plants have besides competition include the symbiosis between the roots and the bacteria in the soil, as well as parasitism with the local insects.

                Slowly, the garden is becoming covered in plants, where there was once only the remains of dead organisms. This indicates that secondary succession is taking place, as there was already soil in the garden. An ecosystem is slowly developing in the garden where there was once only soil.

Assignment #4

    There are a few factors that affects our plant. First is abiotic factors, this is what the plant relies on. Some are the sun, soil, water, and depending on how the weather is like.  These factors help the plant sprout and maintain healthy. Another is biotic factors that affect the plant When other plants competing  with our plants for nutrients. Also, the bugs eating the leaves to corrupt the plant. In addition, all this global warming lately is destroying our air and blocking the sun for our plant to nourish. But, there are some insects that do help the plant. Mostly they try to eat the plant or take its resources.

    It is clear to me that the plants in competition because it makes sense that two different species are living in the same area and want the same resources.  All the plants are competing for nutrients, territory, sun, and water. Other competitors would be weeds, other plant, trees, and bugs.

    The vanquisher  is the one that gets lives to grow and reproduce. The opposition ends up dying and provides more nutrients to the others that continue to live. On occasion the loser is nit always benifictial. Sometimes its just the winner lives and the loser dies. Other times its unclear who wins and loses because they both still live and survive but one flourishes much more than the other.
   The plant is also in a symbiosis relationship. In this with relationship is Bees. They come and pollinate the plant so it can create offsprings. With that the bee also gets food, so that would be a mutualism relationship. Other relationships include parasitism, like weeds.  The weeds root go into the plant and steal its nutrients so it cant grow. All of this contributes to how the plant will develop. 
   There is secondary succession happening in the garden. I know this because there was soil already there. I also observed the weeds spread everywhere.  We witness this when plants sprout up besides the ones we planted. Now they can be a community.

                                    Divina Rodriguez