Assignment #3 and #4

STUDENT BLOG POST ASSIGNMENT #3: Biogeochemical Cycles And Your Plants.

Julissa’s answers:                                                                    

1.This week my plant had presented noticeable changes for example, it has more leaves and its getting bigger. It started as a small seed and now it looks like a mini bush because accidentally my partner put to many seeds in the pot, but it{s okay we learned a lesson and i like how it looks with a bunch of leaves.

2. My plant participates in the movement of water in the biosphere by a process called transpiration where moisture is carried through plants, from roots to small pores on the underside of leaves where it is changed to vapor and goes to the atmosphere. My plant roles in the water cycle by evaporating the water from its leaf surfaces and the transpiration depends on the temperature, humidity, precipitation, the amount of sunlight received.

3. My plant participates in the movement of carbon in the biosphere because carbon exists in the atmosphere as a compound carbon dioxide. My plant is  a photosynthetic organism so it absorbs carbon dioxide through small pores in its leaves. Once they capture the carbon dioxide they convert it to sugars through a process called photosynthesis. It will also participate in being a decomposer in the future because at some point they will die, and this is where the carbon dioxide returns to the atmosphere.

4. My plant participates in the movement of nitrogen with its soil, which determines the availability of nitrogen for my plants growth. My plant couldn’t live without nitrogen because it is needed to make chlorophyll, which is used to make their own food and energy.

Abby’s answers:

1.  Obviously our plans have grown, but so have the surrounding plants creating competitors. Our plants have grown many more leaves they look like little bushes.
2.   They plants participate in the water cycle by using a process called transpiration. This is when the plant absorbs the water and then uses it to grow.
3.   The plant is contributing to the carbon cycle by using the process of photosynthesis the plant takes in the carbon and converts it to sugar. As it gets bigger it takes in more.
4. In order to grow plants need nitrogen, they absorb it through the soil. The plant is getting bigger there for absorbing more nitrogen

Ella's answers:

1) Our plants have grown quite a lot. It has grown leaves and has grown taller. We had added a few more seeds than needed so that may have changed something, causing ours to grow different than the rest, but it seems to be healthy and perfectly fine.

2) Our plant uses respiration, which is in the water cycle. The plant gathers the water by absorbing it, causing it to grow taller.

3) Our plant contributes to the carbon cycle by photosynthesis. The plant converts the carbon and creates it's own natural sugar. The more it converts, the bigger it gets.

4) Our plant also is with the nitrogen cycle by making their own energy and food. Our plants needs nitrogen to survive as it needs nitrogen for chlorophyll.

Student Blog Post Assignment #4: An Ecological Analysis of the Garden and your Plants

Julissa’s answers:

1.Abiotic factors are nonliving chemical and physical parts of the environment that affect the functioning of ecosystems. Some abiotic factors on which my plant depend for its survivals are temperature, precipitation, sunlight, water, etc. On the other hand biotic factors are the living things in an ecosystem and some of these  factors that affect my plant are the soil, bacteria, fungi, the consumers and other plants in competition.

2.I know my plant is engaged in competition with other plants because it is sharing the same soil and biotic factors that surround them like soil and sunlight and amount of shade. My plant and the others are trying to get the most amount of resources to survive.

3.Winners and losers are determined when plants survive when they have a strong competition going on in their environment. For example, plants compete for water and sunlight, others may be getting more sunlight because of their location and this is one reason why we located out plant in front of those who grow taller. So in the future when the other plants grow taller than ours, our little plant won’t be in the shade most of the time.  

4.Other types of interaction between my plants besides competitions could be mutualism, commensalism and parasitism. Mutualism is when both organisms benefit from each other. Commensalism is when one organisms benefits while the other organism is not harmed. Parasitism is where one organism benefits and causes harm to the other organism.  

5.The garden ecosystem looks more like secondary succession because even if it didn’t happen any natural disaster that removed a previous community, the soil is still has life and nutrients from the environment. And our plants are forming that community again.

                                                                                                             

Abby’s answers:

1. My plant depends on these abiotic things for its survival: water, the weather, it’s soil and the sun. The plant is affected by these biotic things: other plants, insects/animals and humans.
2. I know there is competition between my plants and the surrounding ones because they’re all very similar and want the same things like water, space and nutrients.
3. Most of the time it’s easy to tell which plant is winning in a certain area. Usually it’s the bigger plant that has The majority of the space. This means it’s getting most of sunlight and most of the nutrients in the soil.
4. Plans have many interactions besides competition, for example they could be having mutualism with the plants around them or even parasitism. Mutualism is when the organisms both benefit. Parasitism is when only one organism benefits and the other is harmed.

Ella's answers:

1) Abiotic factors: Water, Sunlight, Tempature, wind, and the dirt ; Biotic: Bugs and other plants 

2) I know there's competition because they're all in one area, and they all need to share the nutrients in the soil and everything around them.

3)The bigger and stronger plant is always the one who wins, it's receiving the most nutrients needed to survive. 

4) The plants can share mutalism, which has both plants benefit.

5) To me, it looks like a secondary succession, they're starting from scratch and even though there was no disaster, they're all slowly reforming a community.