Karishma post 4

Some biotic and abiotic factors that can affect our plants' growth include water air quality, temperature, sunlight, other similar plants that share the same niche as our cabbage plant, and birds, snails, and other similar animals. The abiotic factors: water, air quality, temperature, and sunlight are all crucial to the growth of plants. These are all necessary factors to grow a healthy plant. Biotic factors such as other nearing plants and animals affect the plants' ability to grow. Nearby plants restrict the amount of space a plant has to grow and other animals can eat the plant thereby restricting its growth.

We know that our cabbage plant is engaged in competition because of the other variety of plant life in the planter box. Some of the plants are cabbage but other plant species include kale, broccoli, and other miscellaneous weeds. These other plants are in need of the same resources as our cabbage plant. When two organisms are in need of the same things, they are engaged in competition. This is clear evidence that our plant is engaged in competition because they are competing for space and resources around them.

In this competition, the "winners" and "losers" are determined by the status of the plant. If a plant is living and healthy, it is a clear-cut winner. However, if it is dying that the plant has lost. However, it is always not all that easy to determine who wins or looses. In some instances, the plants show no signs of change. They are, of course, still engaged in competition, however, you can not tell who is winning or who is losing. When a plant shows no sign of change, it makes it pretty difficult to determine the winner or the loser

Along with the competition, our plants are involved in many other sorts of community interaction. For one, our plants participate in the food chain. There are multiple birds and small insects in our garden that feed on our plant. Our cabbage plant provides energy for the rest of the food chain. They are the producers for the whole food chain/web and the base of the pyramid. Earthworms and plants have a commensalism symbiotic relationship. Earthworms help increase the amount of air and water that enters the soil. They help break down organic matter into nutrients that the plants can use. Therefore, earthworms help plants grow. On the other hand, the worms eat the plant and get their energy from the plant. These are just two of the many interactions that our plant is involved with.

There is evidence of succession occurring in our garden. We know that succession is occurring because new plants keep on showing up in our garden. As time goes on, we find more plants coming up and previous plants growing bigger. Other insects and bugs also come in and live in the garden. There is a mini ecosystem developing in the garden. This is clearly secondary succession because there was soil, to begin with. When an ecosystem starts developing in an area without any soil it is known as primary succession. The process in which an ecosystem develops with soil in the presence is known as secondary succession.