Blog Post #4: An Ecological Analysis 

           Abiotic and biotic factors are incredibly crucial for a plant's survival. There are many abiotic factors that our Broccoli Romanesco plants depend on for survival. Atmospheric gases like oxygen, carbon dioxide are important for the plants respiration and health. During the process of photosynthesis, our Broccoli Romanesco plants take in sunlight and carbon dioxide to create a sugar. They let out oxygen as a waste product. The type of soil is very important to our Broccoli Romanesco plants because it determines what kind of nutrients our plants will absorb. Oxygen gas is important to our broccoli romanesco plants because it is the main factor for aerobic respiration. Nitrogen is important because it produces amino and nucleic acids and gives the plant its color. There are many biotic factors that affect our broccoli romanesco plants. Fungi, bacteria and insects in soil break down nutrients, making it accessible to our plants to absorb. Many different insects have a symbiotic relationship with plants. Some insects will feast on leaves of our plants. Others will provide nutrients and water to our plants. 
                 Our Broccoli romanesco plants are planted less than a few inches away from other Brassica Oleracea plants, including its own kind. Because there is less space, every plant will compete against each other and weeds for nutrients in the soil as well as water. Our Broccoli Romanesco plants are also competing against other organisms. Because plants are a source of food for animals and insects, there is physical results of eating on our plants. When leaves are very holy, It is extremely difficult for that plant to recover from the loss of plant cells. Therefore, it can result in loss of leaves. We can physically see a competition for resources like nutrients and water because some of the every plant is growing at a different rate. Those plants with healthy and bigger leaves tend to be growing at a faster rate than plants with holy and smaller leaves. 
                 When organisms and plants compete against one another, there will always be "winners" and "losers". When plants are competing against other plants and/or organisms, some of the plants will obtain more water than others. Those plants who obtain the resources will grow bigger. The bigger those plants get, the more resources they need for their growth. Therefore, the bigger plants will more likely obtain more resources. Overtime, plants that don't get the resources they need will eventually die because there is no fuel to create proteins, participate in chemical reactions and support plant cells. The plants that due have energy to grow and stay healthy will continue to grow. 
                 There are many types of interaction between our broccoli romanesco plants and other factors. An example of the interaction is the symbiotic relationship with decomposers and larger organisms. An example of a mutualistic relationship is between fungi and our plant. The fungi lives in the secondary roots of the plant. It would absorb inorganic nitrogen and phosphorus from the soil. An example of parasitism with our plant is with larger organisms. Larger organisms feast and get nutrients from our plants.
                  There is evidence that succession is occurring because each plant is constantly growing every day and different sized holes and bugs are on some plants. The fact that there is an increase in growth with the plants can determine that the organisms in the soil make nutrients accessible to the plants. Secondary succession is occurring as well because of the holes in some of the plants. The holes can conclude that larger organisms feed on the leaves on the plant. Primary succession is more prevalent than secondary succession because there is more interaction between the plant and the soil than with other organisms.