An Ecological Analysis of the Garden and your Plants

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. Plants depend on a few crucial abiotic factors. Those factors being soil/dirt, water, oxygen, carbon, nitrogen, etc. Plants need these abiotic factors because they are needed for photosynthesis. Without photosynthesis plants won't grow, and will cause it to eventually die. There are a few biotic factors that affect our plant. Those factors being other plants, insects/bugs, humans, etc. Other plants affect our plant because
2. How do you know your plants are engaged in competition? For what are your plants competing, and who is the competition? I know that our plant is competing with other plants because if weren't our plant would of been way bigger. Our plants are competing for space, water, oxygen, nutrients, etc. The competition is the other plants that are in the planting box.
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? Winners and losers are determined on who gets the most nutrients and needed resources. The plant that gets more nutrients are considered the winners because they get to grow the most. It can be subtle who the winner and who the loser is. It can because you can see on the outside, but also things are happening inside the plant that we can't see.
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. There are multiple types of interaction. There is Parasitism, Commensalism, and Mutualism. Parasitism is when one organism lives in or on another organism and harms the host. Commensalism is when one organism benefits and the other is not helped or harmed. Mutualism is when both species benefit from the relationship.
5. What evidence is there in the garden that succesion (or something like it) is occurring in the garden ecosystem? Does it seem more like primary or secondary succession? There is evidence that garden succession is happeing because my plant is growing very well, and it looks pretty healthy. Secondary succession is happening because the plants are already growing from something. Primary succession is when something grows out of nothing, usually when there is a lava flow