Plant Status Update #4: An Ecological Analysis of the Garden and your Plants

Student Blog Post Assignment #4

     Some abiotic factors that affect our plants are sunlight and temperature. Another important factor is the soil. If the soil around the plant has lots of nutrients, it will thrive, but if it doesn't, the plant may struggle. Biotic factors are the organisms around the plant such as insects that eat its leaves or other plants that compete with it for nutrients.

     Plants are competing when there are other plants in their niche in their area. Our plants compete against the weeds and other plants around them for various things the need. They may be competing for nutrients, sunlight, water, etc.

     The winners and losers in the war that is competition can sometimes be clear, such as when one plant dies and one lives. Sometimes, however, it is more difficult. If both of the plants live, then the healthier one is winning, but things can change over time. In addition, it might not be so easy to see which plant is really healthier. It can also be difficult to see who wins if you don't know what winning is. Some plants may have a shorter lifespan, but reproduce more to carry on their species. If both plants die, how do you determine which was a more effective plant? Obviously it isn't always clear who 'wins' and who 'loses' in nature.
     Our plants, aside from competition, are involved in a parasitic relationship. The bugs that live around the romanescoe eat the leaves of our plants. They hinder its growth and make it less healthy. For most plants a few insects are not much of a problem, and will not kill it, but if one of our less healthy plants is unlucky, the parasites could slowly destroy it completely.
     Succession, or a similar process, is definitely going on in the garden. While it started as a few small organisms, there are now many species living in the area, and it's only going to go up from there. Because there was soil to start with, this is an example of secondary succession. The pioneer organisms that arrived there first died, filled the soil with nutrients, and paved the way for many more complex creatures.

Plant Status Update #4

Jacob Sweet

Period 5

10/15/14

Plant Status Update #4: An Ecological Analysis of the Garden With My Plants

     One of the abiotic factors that our plants depend on is receiving lots of sunlight during the day. Another is having nutritious soil with lots of plant healthy matter for our plants to grow in. Finally, a third abiotic factor that is necessary for our plants' survival is an average temperature that San Jose usually experiences. However, one of the biotic factors affecting our plants is insects eating the leaves of it. In addition, there are weeds growing near our plants that are affecting them.
     Our plants are in a type of interaction with other living organisms called competition. They are competing with the weeds that are growing and sprouting around them. They are competing for the natural nutrients in the soil. They may also be fighting for the water that is dropped in the soil from precipitation.
     The "winners" and "losers" of the battle can be easily determined by who survives and who is left to die. However, sometimes when they both survive or the dying plant does something important before it goes it can be harder to see who "won" and who "lost". When both plants survive, it may be tough to determine who is more prosperous because one may reproduce more while the other lives longer. There could also be a case in which they both die and there is no clear way of figuring which one helped its species the most. Finally, while one plant may take more nutrients, others may be taking less but prospering more from it.
     Another interaction involving our plants is parasitism. In this interaction, insects are eating the leaves of our Broccoli Romanesco plants. This allows the insects to have easy access to food and not starve, allowing them to reproduce. However, the insects are not parasitoids because they hopefully will not kill the plants but merely set back their growth and development. This unfortunately does not benefit our plants in any way and actually ends up harming them.
     There is evidence that succession or at least something similar to it is occurring in the garden ecosystem. This is supported by the fact that it started off as a small place with few plants. Some of those plants died and made the soil nutritious, allowing us to grow our plants in the garden with the other natural plants still growing. If we were to not insert our plants and disrupt the environment it is likely that over time larger ones similar to them would form too. After that, animals started coming to our plants and benefiting from them much like the pioneer species. This type of succession seems much more like secondary succession since the soil was most likely placed there, not formed by nature over time.

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. 

blog post #4

    Our plants have many biotic and abiotic factors effecting them. A few examples of abiotic factors our Broccoli is depending on are gases such as oxygen and carbon dioxide that the plants depend on for respiration and health.  The broccoli needs to in decent soil so it can receive all its vital nutrients needed.Nitrogen produces amino and nucleic acids and gives the plant its color which is very important. Some distinct biotic factors effecting include decomposers like 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. Depending on the insect, some will feed on the plant, while others provide nutrients and water to our plants. 
           
       Our Romanesco plants have been in the planter boxes for a few weeks now and grown significantly. The three plants are all only a few inches apart from each other and the other organisms around them. Because the space is so limited, every plant will compete against each other and weeds for nutrients in the soil as well as water. Plants aren't the only thing our plants are competing against. Due to the fact that plants source of food for animals and insects, it looks as if something has been eating our plants. There is evidence of competition for resources by the different heights of the plants. The leaves with signs of an animal feeding are weaker and not growing as fast as the ones that haven't been eaten. Just like in the real world, there are winners and losers. The plants or organisms that continuously get more water and nutrients will grow larger and take more and more from the smaller ones. 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 remaining plants will grow larger and no longer have to compete for that plant for resources.
                 
      Our Broccoli interacts with many other factors. An example of a mutualistic relationship is between fungi and our plant. Fungi absorbs nitrogen from the soil. Larger organisms feast and get nutrients from our plants  is an example of parasitism with our plant and larger organisms. Each plant is growing each day and some have holes or missing pieces. This is an example of succession. The plants are all getting the necessary nutrients because they are all growing. An example of secondary succession is the other animals feeding off the broccoli. Primary succession is occurring between the plants and soil containing the organisms.