...Biotic Component Paper Biotic Components Paper In this paper I will conduct research on the Bolsa Chica Wetlands that are located in an area of lowlands in Orange County California, adjacent to the city of Huntington Beach. The area is managed by the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), whose mission is to” protect and enhance; migratory shorebird, seabird, waterfowl overwintering habitat; protect natural habitat for shorebirds and seabirds; protect nesting and foraging conditions for threatened or endangered species” The Bolsa Chica Conservancy (BCC) is a local volunteer organization that assists in maintaining the area. Its goals are to ensure the preservation, restoration, and enhancement of the area (2010). This dynamic, yet fragile, ecosystem has been preserved since 1965, flourishing under diligent and careful management. Coastal ecosystems include marshes, coastal waters, estuaries, and lands located at the lower end of drainage basins, where rivers and streams meet the sea or ocean (United States FWS, 2010). These complex ecosystems are composed of biotic communities; plants, animals, birds, and microbes, and the abiotic community; nonliving, chemical, and physical. According to Wright (2008) the type of biotic community found in a given area, is largely determined by the abiotic factors, such as the amount of water, climate, the salinity, or type of soil. Bolsa Chica has a wealth of plant and animal species including Sea Lettuce, Pickleweed...
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...Development In this assignment, you will investigate the biotic and abiotic structure and function of an ecosystem. Choose one of the following ecosystems: * Tropical rainforest * Grassland * Coral Reef * Estuary * Desert You will write a two to three page APA-style research paper about your choice of ecosystem including: * Where might this type of ecosystem be located? Give one specific example. * Describe the structure of the ecosystem: List both the abiotic components and biotic components * Describe the function of the ecosystem: How do the abiotic and biotic components interact in biogeochemical cycles? Describe both the carbon and nitrogen cycles * Describe disturbance and recovery: Describe one natural and one human caused disturbance to the ecosystem. Explain the damage to the ecosystem, including how the abiotic and biotic characteristics of the ecosystem changed. * Explain how ecosystems recover naturally ... (More) Ecosystem Definition noun, plural: ecosystems A system that includes all living organisms (biotic factors) in an area as well as its physical environment (abiotic factors) functioning together as a unit. Supplement An ecosystem is made up of plants, animals, microorganisms, soil, rocks, minerals, water sources and the local atmosphere interacting with one another. Word origin: coined in 1930 by Roy Clapham, to denote the physical and biological components of an environment considered in relation to each...
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...Biotic Component Paper The ecosystem consists of functional systems which includes the organisms of natural communities within an environment (Jones, 2008). The human race would not exist if it was not for natural resources, such as plants, water, food, etc. The health and sustainability of our ecosystem have been negatively impacted due to everyday poor decision making. Therefore, groups, such as Virginia Conservation Network, represents more than 100 non-profits and community organizations working together to preserve the ecosystem to prolong a quality life. Every living and non-living things are connected in some way. An ecosystem is a community of living and non-living things working together. The functioning of an ecosystem is often described by the flow of energy, via food chains and the cycling of elements biogeochemical (Chambers, 2000). The major component of an ecosystem includes soil, atmosphere, heat, and light from the sun, water and living organisms. Soil provides nutrients for plants, which provide oxygen. The atmosphere consists of oxygen and carbon dioxide for plants and living organism to survive. The sun’s heat helps water evaporate and return to the atmosphere where it turns into water. Light from the sun provides photosynthesis for plants to make food. Water is a large percentage of the cells that make up all living organisms. Without the existence of water, all and any form of life would be non-existent. Furthermore, without water, there...
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...Forest Fragments – Assignment Questions The ‘Forest Fragments’ Assignment is an individual assignment, completed and submitted individually to the dropbox PART II: Data Interpretation (9 marks) Examine the data you collected and the calculations you made to answer the following questions: 2.1 What extra information is included in the Shannon’s Diversity Index (vs. richness), and how is this information useful? Why would a scientist use Shannon’s Diversity Index in addition to a richness value? (2 marks) Shannon’s Diversity Index accounts for not only the number of species in a habitat (species richness) but also the evenness of the species within that same habitat. A scientist would use Shannon’s Diversity Index in addition to a richness value because the richness value does not depict the evenness of the habitat, whereas Shannon’s Diversity Index shows both the species richness and the evenness. 2.2 Compare the richness value for your plot with the richness value based on the data collected from all the groups in your Seminar section. Now compare the richness value based on the data collected from all the groups in your Seminar section to the richness value for the entire Dairy Bush (found in the spreadsheet). Explain why these three richness values might be different. (2 marks) The richness value for my plot was a lot less than the richness value collected for my seminar section. The richness value for my seminar section was less than the richness value for...
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...(Hammons,2010) Joshua Tree National Park Park INT1 Task 2 By Kelly Jones Geography Joshua Tree National Park is located in southern California. It is positioned just east of Palm Springs and west of the Colorado River. You will find both the Mojave Desert and the Colorado Desert located here. (National Park Service, n.d., a) Biotic Components Animals Bighorn Sheep Kit Fox Red-spotted Toad Elf Owl (National Park Service, n.d., B) Plants Joshua Tree Silver cholla Hedgehog Cactus Grizzlybear PricklyPear (National Park Service, n.d., C) Abiotic Components At Joshua Tree National Park the land has been characterized by extreme climatic changes. There are torrential rains, cool nights and dry days. Rainfall is seldom and unpredictable. Streambeds are usually dry and there are only a few waterholes. The area has two distinct seasons, summer and winter. Temperatures can get as high as 130 degrees fahrenheit in the summer, and below 0 degrees fahrenheit in the winter time. The low desert called the Colorado goes up to 3,000 feet. The higher desert called the Mojave goes up to nearly 6,000 feet. (National Park Service, n.d., D) Current Human Impact " ● ● ● The spread of non-native plants that have been made possible by visitors to the park have caused habitat destruction. This not only displaces native plants, but also increases the risk of fire. Recreational use of off-road vehicles like motorcycles and ...
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...Firstly, a population is all the individuals of a particular species in a particular habitat at a particular time. The statement is referring to the change in population due to factors which can be categorised into the following: • Biotic factors –living components of an ecosystem • Abiotic factors-non-living components of an ecosystem e.g. rainfall Giving example, I will describe the effects biotic and abiotic factors will have on the dynamic equilibrium of populations. As previously defined, abiotic factors are non-living components of an ecosystem, which include temperature. For instance, the reproduction of the Leather back turtle is affected by rising temperature of the beach sand, in which it lays its eggs. This increase in temperature causes dramatic imbalances in the sex ratios of hatchlings. This will affect the dynamic equilibrium of the population as the imbalance in sex ratio could cause birth rate to decline, as individuals are unable to find a mate due to the imbalance. Another abiotic factor is PH of soil or water. For instance, clownfish are greatly affected by a decrease in PH in ocean water (oceanic acidification). This change in PH affects their sense of smell thus impede their ability to search for the sea anemones in which they live and depend for protection from predators. This will likely lead to an increase of death rate as clownfish will be unable to find a suitable habitat and unable to hide safely from predators. Therefore showing that the PH of...
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...The Great Salt Lake INT1 Task 2 (Ha’Eri, 2004) Location ● The Great Salt Lake is located in northern Utah. (USGS, n.d., b) Biotic Components ● ● ● ● ● ● ● Brine Shrimp Brine Flies Algae Ducks Geese Gulls Pelicans (Wikipedia, n.d.) (Wurstsbaugh, 2014, d) Abiotic Components -Surface elevation 4200 feet above sea level -Depth averages 14 feet -Railroad crosses through the lake -Averages 15.7 inches of precipitation per year -Water temperature varies from below freezing to 80 degrees Fahrenheit. (Gwynn, 2002) Current Human Impact -Humans building a railway through The Great Salt Lake has divided the lake and caused that half of the lake has a higher salinity percentage than the other half. This is caused by the South end has more fresh water flowing into it and the North end has more salt water flowing through it. Because of the railway, it doesn’t pass through to the other side. The percentage of salinity is affecting the brine shrimp eggs harvest. It has decreased. The residents in the Salt Lake area use more water than the average people in the country. Not conserving and using so much water is affecting the water levels of the Great Salt Lake. The lake is getting smaller each year. (USGS, 1999) Future Human Impacts -If current water usage trends continue, the lake will continue to get smaller and smaller. With future growth of the area expected to triple in the next 50 years, Utahns are facing...
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...used for grasping prey. The water strider lays eggs on the edge of water on rocks or aquatic plants. These insects eat other insects no matter if they are dead or alive. They have sucking mouth used to eat either terrestrial insects that have accidentally fallen on the water’s surface or other aquatic insects like mosquito larvae as it comes to the surface (National Wildlife Federation, 1996-2013). There are several factors that can change the stability and growth of this insect’s reproduction and population growth. Abiotic factors like water, temperature, and light can change the population but biotic factors like plants or other organisms can alter it also. If change within an environment happens then change to the organisms within the environment will happen as well (Elzinga, 2004). Abiotic Factors Abiotic factors are non- living components like water, temperature, and light. A rapid increase or decrease in any of these factors would have an effect on this species. Water is important to the water strider population because it is here that it lives and obtains its...
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...Brockman Environmental Science February 18, 2014 Benchmark Part 1 Nature Observation ~ Pond and Surrounding Woods, West Pointe, CA Our favorite place for taking nature walks is in the woods surrounding my parent’s cabin in West Pointe, Ca. My daughter and I have been taking walks in the woods up there for over six years. We have seen a variety of different animals up there on our various outings depending on the time of year we’re up there and the time of day we take our walks. All of the plants and animals we’ve seen up there make up the biotic factors for this environment. There are a number of different species of trees and flowering plants around my parent’s cabin and the outlying trails we go exploring on. Even though there are a number of cabins up here, they haven’t really disturbed the environment to the point that it’s affected the number of different creatures that still wander through the woods. Besides all of the wonderful biotic factors we so enjoy up here there are also a few abiotic factors that interact with the wildlife. There is a slow running stream that runs between a few of the cabins, and then a couple of miles down the road there’s a large standing pond just off to the side of the road. The main abiotic factor is the sun, which is where all the living organisms derive their energy from. Energy is another abiotic factor. The plants derive energy directly from the sun, whereas the animals get their energy indirectly from the sun by eating the plants or other...
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...Effects on the gas exchange of Chylamydomonas under controlled conditions Introduction: Is gas availability a limiting factor for algae growth this spring in the Louisiana State University (LSU) lake system? For three weeks, we observed the effect that changes in gas availability had on the rate of algae growth in the LSU Lake System to determine the optimal growth of Chlamydomonas. To study the effect that temperature had on the Chlamydomonas population, we compared three different environments: high (control), medium, and low exposer to the gas present in a room. This study led to our next question: how does gas availability affect chlorophyll concentration this spring in the LSU lake system? The null hypothesis for this experiment is: if gas availability changes in the lakes, then the Chlamydomonas population will not change. The alternative hypothesis for this experiment is: if temperature changes in the lakes, the Chlamydomonas population will change. Predictions As gas availability is increased in the lakes, the growth of the Chlamydomonas will also increase. Therefore, decreasing the availability in the lakes will decrease Chlamydomonas growth. As temperature is increased in the lakes, chlorophyll production will also increase. (2) Methods: Samples of water were taken from the lakes and among other things the depth, water clarity, temperature, pH were measured. These measurements were taken to compare the chlorophyll of algae concentration to the Chlamydomonas...
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...In this assignment, you will investigate the biotic and abiotic structure and function of an ecosystem. Choose 1 of the following ecosystems: * Tropical rainforest * Grassland * Coral reef * Estuary * Desert You will prepare a 10-12 slide PowerPoint presentation (not including the title or reference slides) and include a minimum of 3 images about your choice of ecosystem, covering the following in your presentation: * Where might this type of ecosystem be located? Give 1 specific example. * Describe the structure of the ecosystem. * List both the abiotic components and biotic components. * Describe the function of the ecosystem. * How do the abiotic and biotic components interact in biogeochemical cycles? * Describe both the carbon and nitrogen cycles. * Describe disturbance and recovery. * Describe 1 natural and 1 human-caused disturbance to the ecosystem. * Explain the damage to the ecosystem, including how the abiotic and biotic characteristics of the ecosystem changed. * Explain how ecosystems recover naturally based on resilience mechanisms and the theory of secondary succession. Ecosystem Definition noun, plural: ecosystems A system that includes all living organisms (biotic factors) in an area as well as its physical environment (abiotic factors) functioning together as a unit. Supplement An ecosystem is made up of plants, animals, microorganisms, soil, rocks, minerals, water sources...
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...The Great Barrier Reef Ecosystem Biotic, Abiotic and Human The ecosystem I have selected to review is that of the Great Barrier Reef. The Great Barrier Reef is located in north eastern Australia off the coast of Queensland. It's a nearly 2,000 kilometer long natural wonderland of coral and sea life. A natural coral reef is a very fragile environment with many biotic and abiotic components working in a perfect harmony. Because of this balance, reefs are susceptible to natural variances, outside pollutants and human recklessness. Map of the Great Barrier Reef Biotic components that make up the Great Barrier Reef include all of the living plants, the coral itself and a multitude of animals that live in the coral. Nonliving factors make up the Abiotic component of the Great Barrier Reef, these includes physical influences such as temperature of the water, lighting and nutrients found in the water (these nutrients feed the coral and fish) Both abiotic and biotic have to work together in order for the ecosystem of the Great Barrier Reef to survive. The Great Barrier Reef is the world's largest reef system and can be seen from space Humans civilization has also impacted the reef ecosystem. Farm land that borders the Great Barrier Reef often uses fertilizer that gets washed into the sea killing sea life and coral. Factories near the reef can put off pollutants into the soil, air, rivers, and other water sources. Fishing if done improperly such as with "dynamite...
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...Biolando is a one of a kind natural region with many distinct features. It is made up of many lush plants and trees of varying types and is composed of subtropical wetlands. It is mostly composed of Sawgrass Marshes, Cypress and Mangrove forests. Biolando is home to many types of species such as the American Alligator, Tortoise, rabbits, various turtle species, and abundant amounts of fish and birds. The American Alligator, Turtle, Fish and Bird species inhabit the water regions of Biolando. The American Alligator’s main food source comes from various species of fish and birds. The Tortoise and rabbits live on the same terrain in which they live in harmony. The biotic factors of Biolando consist of various plants and trees such as Mangroves. Species such as Alligators, Turtles, Fish, Bird species, and Tortoises fall under the biotic factor category also. Abiotic factors in Biolando consist of forest fires which occur naturally and which can cause great harm to the environment of Biolando. Rain controls the amount of water that biolando receives, depending on this factor Biolando will either flourish or will be in a drought. Sunlight has a strong impact on plants which is one of the key factors to excel Biolando. If Disney decided to build on Biolando the species of Biolando would most definitely decrease in population due to the destruction of habitat and almost all the natural resources of Biolando would be destroyed being replaced by rides and other attractions of Disney leaving a...
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...play a major role in the make-up of the biotic and abiotic environment. They can range from ponds, forests, estuaries, or grasslands. Some ecosystems are more complex than others depending on where they are located. Some have similar characteristics and some are different in many ways such as the abiotic and biotic components or the region it is located in. Grasslands for example have different names because of the region they are located, for example, grasslands known as prairies are located in the United States. There are two types of grasslands, temperate and tropical. Grasslands in the United States are temperate and typically found in the mid-west. The grasslands known as prairies are more useful to humans agriculturally due to them having two seasons. These grasslands get between 10 to 30 inches of rain per year which is good for vegetation purposes. That is known as a grasslands growing season. When the weather starts to get cold and dry, that is known as the grasslands dormant season which is when nothing grows and the grasses and plants start to die. Many of the grasslands in North America have been turned into farmlands. Grasslands have many abiotic and biotic components. Abiotic components are non-living things that affect the ecosystem. These components are sunlight, water, heat, temperature, climate, and nutrients in the soil. Biotic components are living organisms or things that affect the ecosystem. These components are typically grass, small trees, plants...
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...possesses 8 mangroves species but is predominantly dominated by Avicennia marina (Grey Mangroves) and Aegiceras corniculatum (Black Mangrove) (“Moreton Bay Mangrove, 2013”). The Moreton Bay community provides vital protection and food source for various marine and terrestrial species including wading birds, shrimps and crabs. Structurally it is comprised of coastal environments consisting of numerous river estuaries that extend seaward (“Moreton Bay Mangrove Species, 2013”). 1. BIOTIC INTERACTIONS IN THIS MANGROVE COMMUNITY The biotic interactions within a mangrove ecosystem are defined as the interaction between living biological factors (“Encyclopaedia of Earth, 2013”). The interactions between biotic factors create various relationships including; parasitic, mutualistic, predation and competitive relationships (“Abiotic and Biotic Influences On An Ecosystem, 2013”). One of the most fundamental biotic factors within a mangrove...
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