Monday, March 16, 2009 12:24 AM
Article 1
It has been well documented that ecosystems are regulated by many factors. Both abiotic and biotic factors affect the growth of organisms within an ecosystem. Biotic factors include all the living components within an ecosystem. For example, all the animals, plants, and humans would be considered biotic. Abiotic factors are the nonliving components of an ecosystem. Some common abiotic factors include pH, available sunlight, soil nutrients, etc. These biotic and abiotic factors affect each other. For example, an abiotic factor like pH in soil affects the growth of plants in that soil. The reverse is also true. Without plants to utilize the water within the soil, use its nutrients, or die and decompose, the pH of the soil would remain relatively unchanged
The primary plant of interest is the protected mangrove species. Mangroves are native to Florida and cover almost 500,000 acres of our coastal zones. Mangroves are well adapted for life in salty environments. They have the ability to obtain freshwater from saltwater in a variety of ways. Some plants do not allow salt to enter their systems by blocking it at the roots, others secrete the salt from their leaves. There are over 50 species of mangrove worldwide but at the EMC, there are three different species of mangroves. The most commonly recognized is the Red Mangrove, Rhizophora mangle, because it is the most common near the waters edge and grows many long red roots that look as if they are supporting the tree like legs. They also produce the long cigar shaped propagules that many boaters and snorklers find drifting with the waves. Further up the water line, we find black mangroves, Avicennia germinans. The EMC is one of the northern most points in Florida that we find black mangroves. Black mangroves can be identified by their lima bean shaped seeds and their many pneumatophores protruding from the substrate around the trunk of the tree. Finally we have the white mangrove, Laguncularia racemosa, which is the farthest upland from the waters edge. White mangroves produce small green pea shaped seeds and have elliptical leaves. Mangroves are one of few plant species that are viviparous which adds to their ability to inhabit a variety of coastal environments.
Mangroves play an essential role in the health of our coastal ecosystems. They trap and cycle enormous amounts organic materials and nutrients as well as chemical elements. They act as protective habitat for many young commercially important marine species like snapper, grouper, shrimp, and oysters. Their many roots act as physical barriers to trap trash and pollution as well as storm related winds and water. Finally, they act as roosting habitat for many of our wild bird species and provide a buffet or organisms for some of our coastal terrestrial animals like raccoon and rats.
Article abstract from http://eec.pasco.k12.fl.us/EECs/High_School_Programs_files/EMC%20Mangrove%20Study.doc
Reflection 1
After reading the article, I learned that ecosystems are regulated by many factors. Both abiotic and biotic factors affect the growth of organisms within an ecosystem. Biotic factors refer to living things wheras abiotic factors refer to non-living things. Examples of abiotic factors are pH, available sunlight, soil nutrients, etc. These two factors affects each other for example, an abiotic factor like pH in soil affects the growth of plants in that soil. The reverse is also true. Without plants to utilize the water within the soil, use its nutrients, or die and decompose, the pH of the soil would remain relatively unchanged. Mangroves are the natives of Florida and cover almost 500,000 acres of our coastal zones. Mangroves are well adapted for life in salty environments. They can obtain freshwater from saltwater in a variety of ways but some do not allow salt to enter their systems by blocking it at the roots, others secrete the salt from their leaves. There are many types of mangrove worldwide but at the EMC, there are three different species of mangroves. The most commonly recognized is the Red Mangrove, Rhizophora mangle, because it is the most common near the waters edge and grows many long red roots that look as though they are supporting the tree like legs. They also produce the long cigar shaped propagules that many boaters and snorklers find drifting with the waves. Further up the water line, we find black mangroves, Avicennia germinans. Black mangroves can be identified by their lima bean shaped seeds and their many pneumatophores protruding from the substrate around the trunk of the tree. Finally we have the white mangrove, Laguncularia racemosa, which is the farthest upland from the waters edge. White mangroves produce small green pea shaped seeds and have elliptical leaves. I also learn that mangrove plays an important part in the health of our coastal ecosystems. They trap and cycle enormous amounts organic materials and nutrients as well as chemical elements. They too protect the young commercially important marine species like snapper, grouper, shrimp, and oysters. They too act as roosting habitat for many of our wild bird species and provide a buffet or organisms for some of our coastal terrestrial animals like raccoon and rats, thus mangrove has been part of these species’ life and without the mangroves protecting them, and they might be extinct a long time ago. So in conclusion, these species cannot afford to lose the protection of the mangroves.
(413words) ( Some of the information in my reflective journal was taken from the article)
