My Response

              Overall, I enjoyed doing this project with my plot and I learned many things about it. First of all, I learned about all of the different kinds of fungi my plot had. My plot is in the far back of my backyard, and I have been back there before, but I never saw some of the amazing types of fungi I found while tramping around doing plot assignments. The species ranged from small, white shelf fungi to large, brown bracket fungi. Another thing I learned was how many different organisms dwell in my plot. I found many different species of the typical omnivores and herbivores, but I was introduced to detritivores through science class and found many decomposers, too. A third thing I learned was how easily my plot can become trashed up. It's a pretty secluded area, so I was surprised at how much trash had gotten there. This reminds me not to litter because of its uncleanliness not only to the environment but also to the eye. I also learned how many of the trees on my plot change brilliant colors of red orange, and yellow. I knew that they changed, but I was surprised at how the colors were so vivid. Lastly, I learned about how all of the organisms living there are related in terms of being in a general food web. I found out how energy flows from the sun all the way to a fox or deer living on my plot, and how this system is a constant cycle happening all the time. This knowledge I've learned has caused me to be more aware of God's creation around me and increases my concern for the earth's well-being, especially the things that I personally am doing to harm my plot and places similar to it even though it may not be directly. This project will also cause me to go outside more and observe nature more carefully.

Seasonal Changes - My Plot Progression of Seasonal Changes

 Week 1

 Week 2

 Week 3

 Week 4

Week 5

Seasonal Changes - Tree Characteristics

The tree I chose to take leaves from is a red maple tree. It's approximately 35 feet tall, is pretty narrow, and is relatively young for a tree, about 20 years. An interesting fact is that one of its branches changes directly to red even before the other branches turn to yellow. Its bark is brownish gray and is overall smooth just with some rough sections (for example, the picture), and the leaves are a yellowish green in the summertime turning to brilliant shades of red and yellow in the fall. 

Food Web

Producers and Consumers

I saw many different species of plants and animals in my plot. Here are a few examples along with their status as a producer or consumer:
I. Consumers
1) Herbivores - deer, rabbits, bumblebees, moths, butterflies, fruit flies, and squirrels.
2) Omnivores - mosquitoes, bluejays, cardinals, tree frogs, ladybugs, toads, and chickadees.
3) Detritivores - slugs and worms.
4) Decomposers - shelf fungi, mushrooms, and bracket fungi.
II. Producers - pine tree, maple tree, poisen ivy, grass, thornbush, crab apple tree, moss, apple tree, pear tree, dandelions, and a sassafrass tree.

Plot Community

My plot's inhabitants interact with eachother in many different ways. Competition is seen through squirrels fighting for nuts and other food and also through the birds fighting for the proper nesting tree or worms and seeds. Predation is seen when birds hunt for worms, and also through spiders building webs and catching flies. I can see mutual symbiosis through squirrels, rabbits, and other mammals producing carbon dioxide for plants, and in return, the plants produce oxygen for the breathing animals. Also, the ants and aphids dwelling in my plot have a mutual relationship because the aphids produce a sugar-honeydew substance pleasing to the ants, and in return, the ants protects the aphids from unwanted predators. There are also many ways I see commensalism in my plot. One example is how birds make nests in trees. The tree helps the bird by giving it shelter, but it doesn't benefit nor become sick from the bird. Another example would be how moss grows on trees. The moss benefits from proper sunlight and nutrients from the tree, but it neither helps nor harms the tree as long as it doesn't become too heavy. There are also examples of parasitism. One example would be mosquitoes. They benefit when they suck an animal's (or human's) blood, but they cause irritation and can even transmit diseases. Another example would be ticks. They cling to their host and feed on them, so the host, such as a blade of grass, gets weaker and weaker.

My Plot is An Ecosystem

My plot contains many species, populations, and communities in the area. I've seen many species of plants and animals such as squirrels, rabbits, deer, birds (like chickadees), maple trees, pine trees, poison ivy, mosquitoes, and flies. The populations dwelling there would be a pack of squirrels, a pack of rabbits, a herd of deer, a flock of chickadees, many groves of trees, groups of poison ive, swarms of mosqitoes, and swarms of flies. I've noticed the inhabitants interacting with eachother by seeing squirrels run up trees and build their homes their along with birds and their nests. Also, I see deer eating apples that grow on some of the apple trees in the plot. Another interaction is how the flies and mosqitoes irritate the deer and rabbits when they land on them. My plot is in the temperate deciduous climate zone which, overall, makes up a tiny portion of the biosphere.

Picking up Trash

Human Activity Essay

My Plot’s Negative Human Activity

            My plot, a shallow but wide wooded area, seems fairly secluded from any human harm. It’s located far behind my house and rarely does anyone from my family venture into it. However, even though it looks untouched by humans, the dominant race is subtly overpowering the beautiful God-made woodland in many different ways. First of all, trees are being cleared away for more house development. The newest house is located behind the forest, but it can almost be seen looking directly back from my house which shows how the woods are becoming  less dense. Secondly, trash gets dumped around the edges of the forest which eventually makes its way into the middle parts of the woods. It makes it very difficult to enjoy the beauty when every five seconds a dirty piece of garbage is found. This garbage isn’t biodegradable, so it just sits there becoming dirty and disgusting. Animals wandering through may eat it and could easily get sick and die, too. A third human effect on the plot is trapping and hunting. Deer are a common inhabitant to my plot, and sometimes they attract bow hunters. These along with traps decrease the population of some species of animals; in addition to deer there are moles, squirrels, and other animals whose lives are being threatened. One more human effect is pool water. My neighbor has a pool filled with chlorine and other chemicals that needs to be drained annually, and the water goes directly into the ground;  the pool is located very ,very close to the outside of my plot, so some of the chemicals that seep into the ground can affect the plants growing around that area.

            Despite the bad conditions, so it seems, for my plot, there are many ways to act contrary toward it and help replenish and preserve the forest land. One way is to organize trash clean ups. Cleaning up the surrounding environment is a significant yet easy way to make it look eye pleasing and fresher, plus, taking away the clutter makes it a healthier habitat for animals. It also gives humans a view of what we are doing to make creation look, to be blunt, uglier. Another way to prevent human activity is to have my neighbors drain their pool in a real drain instead of into the ground. To add to these two ideas, putting up “NO TRESSPASSING” signs is a good way to keep people from hunting or trapping.

            Overall, human activity  mainly has a negative impact on my plot area. Our normal way of life has so many harmful attributes that it’s affecting every part of nature. God commands us in Genesis to “fill the earth and subdue it; rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground.” (Genesis 1:28)  We as Christians are called to be good stewards of the created world. Even though my plot is just a tiny portion of it all, helping it leads to greater acts of caring. Planting trees and other plants encourages growth and life and is easily done by humans; this can take the place of trash and pollution. We must fulfill God’s mission for us.

Biotic or Abiotic?

Biotic Materials                    

• grass                                                              
• poisen ivy
• thorn bushes
• pine trees
• crab apple trees
• mosquitoes
• mushrooms
• moss
• flies
• deer
• moths
• bees
• fungi
• flowers
• maple tree

Abiotic Materials

• old tin can
• beat up tennis ball
• drain pipes
• rocks





My Picture

The Wonders of My Plot

My plot is a wide forest area located in the very back of my yard. I chose this area because it is conveniently located and is densely packed so you can always find something interesting in it. Some of those interesting things include strange fungi, an old rotting apple tree, a brush pile (which is a GREAT habitat for all sorts of insects and moles), deer, and rabbits. I smell the lush aroma of pine trees and see sunlight peeking through cracks in the trees on a sunny afternoon. In addition with all the pleasing things, thorns grow all over the place, so it can be a hazard to entering in certain spots. Overall, I'm excited for this project because it gives me a chance to get outside, something I haven't been doing as much as I should, and it shows me the wonders of God's created world.

My Plot Location