My response

Overall, I feel that the plot study project took more time than it was worth. However, I did still learn some things from it. 1) I learned that animals don't like to show themselves when humans are around. 2) I learned there is much variety, even within a small ecosystem. 3) I can see that all organisms work together to benefit the environment. 4) Humans can disrupt this healthy environment. And 5) Ecosystems are constantly changing. With this knowledge, I can learn to respect the world that I live in and do my best not to disrupt these fragile ecosystems.

Seasonal Changes

My tree is about 12 feet tall. It has a small trunk that branches out with many leaves. It is pictured below:

This is a sketch of my tree's bark (sideways):

These are my five leaves:

Producers & Consumers

Producers:

• Trees
• Shrubs
• Grass
• Wild Black Berry Bush
• Clover
• Dandelion
• Moss

Consumers:

Herbivores:

• Deer
• Rabbits
• Birds
• Rodents
• Bees
• Human (me)
• Butterfly

Carnivores:

• Owls
• Spider
• Hawk

Omnivores:

• Skunk
• Racoon
• Squirrel
• Chipmunk
• Wild turkey
• Possum

Detritivores:

• Earthworm
• Snails
• Dung beetles
• Millipedes
• Slug

Decomposers:

• Mushroom
• Bacteria

Biodiversity | Trees

Pine Tree

Wild Black Berry Tree

Maple

Elm

Oak

Plot Community

Competition:

• Two squirrels fighting over an acorn
• Birds fight over best nesting areas

Predation:

• Owls hunting for squirrels
• Spider capturing insects in its web

Symbiosis-Mutualism:

• Bee pollinating a flower
• Bird eats berries, plant gets its seeds dispersed

Symbiosis-Commensalism:

• Bird living in a tree
• Deer living in a shrub

Symbiosis-Parasitism

• Mosquito biting me
• Mite living in a bird

My Plot is an Ecosystem

My plot is an ecosystem because it is made up of many communities of different species. Each organism is made up of atoms, molecules, cells, tissues, organs, and organ systems. My plot contains oak trees, deer, birds, grass, pine trees, turkeys, and many other different types of plants and animals. All of these organisms interact with each other to create an ecosystem. My plot also contains abiotic factors, such as dirt, steel track, and rocks, which are part of any ecosystem.

Taking Action

To take action, I decided to pick up trash on my plot. Here are just a few pictures I took.

Wendy's cup

Cheeto's bag

Trash bag

Human Activity Assessment

            Just looking at the location of my plot, you can tell that it has been affected by human activity. Railroad tracks go straight through my plot. The Alger extension is located opposite of the railroad tracks. Turkeys are often seen crossing this road to get from one side of the woods, to the woods area where my plot is located. Where the road goes over the railroad tracks, graffiti is all over the underpass of the bridge. People drive by my plot everyday, yet they often don’t think of the life hidden within the woods.

            A trail also runs directly through my plot. There are many signs that people often walk along this path. Not as many leaves are on the path, there are footprints in the dirt, and there is trash scattered on and all around the path. I found plastic bags, a Wendy’s cup, a Gatorade bottle, a nutrisystem container, an empty cigarette pack, duct tape, a plastic cup, a sierra mist two liter container, a compact disc, a pepsi can, a headband, a book cover, and even a brown hooded sweatshirt covered in leaves. All these things show that there is often human activity in these woods.

            The cars whizzing by, the trains whistling, and people trampling though the trees doesn’t exactly make this an ideal location animals to make their homes. And if they do, they run the risk of having their home destroyed by some teenager messing around in the woods. Because of this inconvenience for creatures, they might leave such an environment and decide to find a home somewhere else. If animal life becomes less evident in these woods, and possibly eventually cease to be present, the city might decide to bulldoze this area to be used for recreational or businesslike purposes.

            In the case of extreme rains and flooding, the location of my plot could be dangerous. The road is on higher ground than my plot, so in case of flooding, water would run off the road and to the area where my plot is located. This water could then wash out much of the plant life and homes of creatures living there.

The liter all on the ground could affect nature adversely by making it hard for plants to find nutrients. But also, an animal, such as a deer, might try to eat such trash which could be hazardous to its health. If liter in this area becomes too much, people might just give up on trying cleaning it up and just leave this area as a place to be trashed and not worry on the effects that such materials could have on this environment.

To protect my plot from negative human impact, a good place to start would be picking up the trash there. This way it would not become a junk yard and keep everything there natural. However, I do not think my plot could ever go back to the thriving environment once was due to the fact that it is located to close to both a road and railroad tracks.

Biotic or Not?

Biotic 

• tree
• leaves on tree
• fallen tree
• leaves on the ground
• twigs
• grass
• poison ivy
• other foliage
• ants
• birds
• mosquitoes
• wood pilings (on railroad tracks)
• me

Abiotic

• railroad tracks (steel)
• pebbles
• boulder
• trash
• dirt
• temperature
• my clothes

Expression

Birds chirp

Trees all around

Leaves on the ground

Nature preserved

Nature disturbed

Heard all around

Cars and trains

Sounds strain

Meet My Plot

My plot is located across the street from school, back into the woods, and by the rail road tracks. There are trees all around, many of which reach high towards the sky. You can walk along the bike path covered with leaves. But watch out for low hanging branches and maybe even a tree that has fallen across the path. There are birds chirping and twigs snapping. But cars can also be heard not too far away. And if you're lucky, you might even hear a train whistle as it rushes down the tracks.

The train I saw go by my plot

Where my plot is located

A drawing of my plot