Joshua Post #4

Our plants survival depends on abiotic and biotic factors simultaneously. One abiotic factor that our plants depend on for survival would have to be water. This would be abiotic because water is not living. Our plants depend on this for survival because without water there is no form of life. Water gives our plants nutrients that help it grow and the plants cells need water to function. Without these regular functions, the plant would die. Another abiotic factor that our plants depend on for survival would have to be soil. Without the soil in which they are situated, our plants would die. Finally, some more abiotic factors would be sunlight, climate, weather, and space. Without sunlight, our plants would not have an energy source and would not be able to carry out their regular functions such as photosynthesis. The plant would not make food, and die. The climate and weather as well because if its too hot or too cold, the plant will die. Too much precipitation or too little will kill our plants. Finally, space because without the space it needs to grow, it will not survive. Biotic factors that affect our plants would be other nearby plants that share the same niche. This would be because they would be in competition for resources and the growth could be not as great. Competition could even kill our plants. Other biotic factors that would affect out plant could be diseases and harmful bacteria. This would be because they would harm or kill our plant. The final biotic factor would be small animals that could eat off our plants and substantially harm them.

I know that our plants are engaged in competition because there is so many other organisms living in the same plant box, and right next to it. These plants have the same needs and since there are many, they are competing for them. They are competing for water, sunlight, and space. Other organisms that may be engaged in competition could be small animals that live in the plant box and have the same necessities.

The winners and losers in this struggle are determined by which plants survive and which plants are clearly struggling and die. If a plant is healthy, growing, and prospering, it is winning. If a plant is struggling and dying, it is losing. Sometimes it is not always clear who wins or loses, and this may be because plants could show no growth and no deteriorating conditions either. It might also not be clear because plants might adapt to their limited amount of resources and not die. Other signs of no winning or losing is growing at the same rate. If two plants are competing, they could be getting the same amount of all factors and grow at the same rate.

The types of interactions that our plants are involved in are symbiotic relationships. Specifically, mutualism and parasitism. This would be because nitrogen fixing bacteria live in our plants roots. The bacteria get some place to live and the plants get some nitrates which are turned to nutrients. They are participating in parasitism because other animals in the garden have appeared to have used our plants as food. They bit away at the leaves. Since those animals are benefiting by getting food and our plants are being harmed, it is parasitism. Other interactions that our plants are involved in could be the food chain. This would be because they are producers, so small herbivores such as small caterpillars could eat them.

The plant box in which our plants were planted in is an example of secondary succession. This is because soil already existed there previously, and secondary succession is when soil already exists somewhere. Prior to our plants living there, there were other plants that had previously lived there. They happened to have died and been cleared out for our plants this year. Our plants replaced them in the soil, so it is primary succession. However, it was not always good quality soil. Before it was made into a garden, the area was more or less not ideal for plants. People then put plants there, and the succession speed rate increased. It then turned to a nice soil garden and now houses many different organisms in the tiny garden ecosystem.