Focus Questions

Week 1:
April 27 - May 1, 2015
The main California biome is the chaparral, which consists of temperate woodlands and shrubs.
This is because of the moderate weather and mild temperatures, as well as mild rainfall and
growth of plant life. There are three types of symbiotic relationships, including mutualism,
parasitism, and commensalism. Examples of mutualism include bees and other insects
pollinating plants, like blackberry bushes, which in turn use the movement of these organisms to
reproduce. The relationship between ticks and the animals they leech off of is parasitism;
commensalism can be observed at my site in the birds that use the trees to nest or, at the
molecular level, the masses of intestinal bacterial species that live in the guts of animals and
birds. In my site, several food chains undeniably exist. Small insects, like aphids, eat producers
such as grasses and plants. Other insects prey on these smaller insects, and the birds on these
insects. Large animals, like snakes and other animals, prey on the birds. Turkey vultures appear
to pick off dead carcasses.

Week 2:
May 2 - May 8, 2015
Since my site is settled in the midst of a public park and popular hiking trail, human impact is
clear and unavoidable. Water pollution is one factor. A mere one hundred feet away is a horse
farm, and both erosion and runoff could be responsible for the creeks dirty condition. Horse
manure is abundant not only on the trails but above the creek, and on rainy days, runoff carrying
rich nutrients from equestrian scat could be a major factor in algae bloom and the limited amount
of life in the creek, despite the presence of water. Hikers have cut dirt trails into the flora; plants
have been trampled, and through the years, have been pushed to the sides of trails. Another
human impact is material pollution. High school students and adults walking across the bridge
above the creek throw their garbage into the water; the cars contribute fossil fuels and heavy
exhaust into the atmosphere. Through my field study, I have also noticed that it is extremely
noisy for a park; vehicles rev in the background, and music and the sound of a saw can
sometimes be heard from the ranch. Based on my observations so far, limiting factors basically
include: algae bloom, pollution, and human interference. At first, I thought soil quality might
have been a problem: but upon further inspection, only the closer side of my site had stunted
plant growth. The far side, where hikers could not access due to the creek acting as a barrier, was
thriving with plant life (although not native). This being said, some limitation factors still go to

competition for space, sunlight, and nutrients in the soil. The blackberry bushes have most
definitely exceeded their competitors in the area, probably because their sharp thorns keep deer
and other animals from consuming it. Its interesting to note that for animals the limitation
factors are greater and much more easy to spot, food and shelter being the most significant.

Week 3:
May 9 - May 15, 2015
Bacteria is extremely important in an ecosystem. They play a crucial role in the nitrogen cycle,
as they break down nitrogen from the atmosphere and help with nitrification and denitrification.
This is especially essential to plants; the relationship is mutualistic. Bacteria also take up space in
animal guts, thereby protecting the area from harmful pathogens and microbes. They aid in
decomposition at the end of the food chains. However, bacteria can also be harmful in certain
situations; when algae or excess pollution in rivers occurs, aerobic bacteria mass reproduce -- as
there is enough food -- and take up the oxygen in the water. This affects the fish and other
aquatic species. // Fungi are also extremely important to the ecosystem because they act as
primary decomposers, and break down important materials such as cellulose and lignin. They
have the ability to penetrate solid substances as well as distribute spores. Fungi are often
parasitic, and contribute to a vast number of plant and animal diseases. But they are still
extremely crucial to the balance of the ecosystem. In my site, I did not see much fungi, but there
were trace amounts at the base of trees.

Week 4:
May 16 - May 22, 2015
There are several invertebrates present within my site, including slugs, worms, dragonflies, bees,
yellow jackets, gnats, and water skiers. Slugs and worms are essential to the soil; when they
funnel through the ground, they make small pockets, which aerates the soil, allowing for higher
levels of oxygen and nitrogen. This is important in order to sustain life underneath the ground.
They are also a food source for other organisms, like birds. Dragonflies, gnats, and water skiers
are only a small representation of the insects that populate the area. Insects are not only
important pollinators, but also provide a system of checks and balances. Parasitic insects keep
organism populations from bursting past normal capacity.
Week 5:
May 23 - May 29, 2015

There are several kinds of plant species in my site area. I observed some vascular seedless plants,
or ferns, though most of them were beginning to shrivel up and dry out. Ferns can easily be
classified by the bumps on their leaves, as well as the delta-like fan shape. Bryophytes, or moss,
were present along the rocks and the side of the trail, and could be distinguished by their short
and clingy nature. No gymnosperms, or plant species with cones, were present near the area. In
contrast, there were a plethora of angiosperms, or flowering plants. Within the angiosperm
sector, I found both monocots and dicots. The monocots could be classified because they make
up the grasses. The blades are singular and have veins running parallel. The dicots, on the other
hand, included all the plant species with multiple leaves and veins that branched out.
*see pictures and captions in slideshow, week 5
Week 6:
May 30 - June 5, 2015
Plants have several well-suited structures that make up the basis of their existence. There have
dermal tissue, vascular tissue, and ground tissues. Dermal tissues are layers of cells that protect
the younger sections of a plant. This protects the plants soft tissues and provides resistance to
the elements/better interaction with its surroundings. Vascular tissues have phloem and xylem,
which transport water and nutrients throughout the entire plant. Located at the core of the plant,
they form the equivalent of a humans circulatory system. You can observe them as the veins on
a plant. Last, but not least, are the ground tissues, which help in several different aspects:
support, regeneration, protection, and photosynthesis. The ground tissues are responsible for a
myriad of different jobs.
A plants most essential and necessary nutrients are nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium.
Nitrogen spurs metabolism, which is the catalyst to flower growth. It is also an important
ingredient in chlorophyll, the basic unit that allows plant life. Potassium allows plants to build
proteins, photosynthesize, reduce disease susceptibility, and increase fruit and seed protection.
This is crucial for a plant to continue to live on in an area. Other nutrients include sulfur,
magnesium, copper, zinc, and iron.
Most of my plants have actually fared well, in contrast to several of my peers field study sites.
On the far bank, the blackberry bushes are situated close to the water, have more than enough
sunlight, fair amount of shade, and perhaps most important, sharp thorns to protect from
predators. The plants dominant nature is obvious, and its adaptations have played a huge part in
that. Other plants have adapted to live on rocks, such as moss. Several grasses are able to thrive
without much water. However, there are definitely some plants that are not perennial; several
ferns have already shriveled away as a result of the oncoming summer, although the plants have
still shedded their seeds.

I was able to observe cross-pollination in the blackberry bushes; bees would go from stigma to
stigma. Also, dragonflies were spotted, though I did not observe it pollinating. Self-pollination
also occurs.