Student Blog Post #4

1. What are some abiotic factors on which your plant depends for its survival? What about biotic factors that affect your plant? Describe some of these factors. Some abiotic factors that my plant depends on for survival are water, sunlight and soil. Biotic factors that do affect my plant are bugs like caterpillars. The caterpillars eat through the plants and makes holes as a result of it. The plants also receive water from under ground through their roots. Sunlight is directly taken from the sun's rays. Soil is just the ground that the plant is planted on.
2. How do you know your plants are engaged in competition? For what are your plants competing, and who is the competition? I know if my plants are engaged in competition by digging around the plant's area to see if there are any interfering roots, or just see how close the plant is to the other plants. The plants are competing for the water in the roots and soil, or land in the ground. The competition are other plants, since they all need the same thing, some more than others.
3. How are "winners" and "losers" determined in this struggle? Is it always so clear cut who "wins" and who "loses?" What makes that determination complicated sometimes? The winners and the losers are determined in this struggle are not easily determined, well there are somewhat winners or losers as those who die in a struggle against another are losers. Those who survive in this struggle are those who are winners. But, it is not always clear cut on who wins in this fight, as you can win one battle, and then die out in the end. Also, luck is involved in this fight, as they can help the one that loses, and helps them survive. So, the complications of real life can really affect your determination of who wins and who loses.
4. Describe other types of interaction (besides competition) in which your plants are involved. Make sure to explain how this interaction affects each organism involved.  Other types of interaction that my plants may be involved with are parasitism, as pests called Trichodorus and Paratrichodorus. Who they feed off the tips of the tap roots and leave the plant's roots in a stubby root symptoms. Also, the plant is eaten by humans, which would technically be parasitism, since the plant is harmed and the humans eat the plant. 
5. What evidence is there in the garden that succession (or something like it) is occurring in the garden ecosystem? Does it seem more like primary or secondary succession? The evidence that there is somewhat of a succession that is occurring in the garden ecosystem is that there are no other plants around, but probably have grass nearby. It seems more like a primary succession since there was no more soil before. But, instead of moss or lichens starting the ecosystem, you add in soil manually and then add some plants. Also, you also have to manually water the plants to help them survive.