Week 1

April 17- May 1

Chapters 3 & 4
What california biome is your area and why?
It is a mixed evergreen forest. This is a sub biome of temperate woodlands, aka
chaparral. In mixed evergreen forests oaks share a home with trees such as bay and
madrone. These areas are cooler and wetter than the oak woodlands, and contain a
denser understory of shrubs. They are often rich in wildflowers.
What type of relationships do you see between organisms in your area? Name
each relationship you see and explain it. (At least 3)
So far I have not seen any organisms besides lizards, spiders, worms, and small flying
insects such as mosquitos. The area is ideal for insects because it stays relatively at a
constant temperature and has a more humid air under the tree canopy. I have seen
these flying insects in spider webs and can infer that spiders live off the flying insects. I
have also noticed that there is a lot of poison oak and that may be keeping the deer and
other mammals away. The rotting, moss covered log serves as a house for worms. I am
not sure if any termites have come and begun to decompose the log. Lastly, I saw one
lizard sitting on a rock that lays right where to sun comes through the tree canopy. I
assume that lizard warms up there and eats spiders in the area.
What is the food chain in your area?
(-> means eats)
Lizard -> spiders -> flying insects or worms -> mammal blood or plants

Week 2
May 4-8
Chapters 5, 6-2, 6-4
What is man's impact on your area?
There is a trail that goes right along my site. This trail is constantly used which leads to
some dirt erosion near the front plants. This can eeft the plants nutrients and support.
Also, the dogs on the trail eat at the plants and sometimes urine on them. Another
impact is the litter. I found a piece of glass bottle on a plant, which disabled it from
growing.
What are the limiting factors in your area for plants and animals?
The plants in my area may not get sunlight throughout the day because there is a large
canopy of trees above. Also, the constant use of the trail may affect growth because

bees and other important organisms may be chased away. The animals may be driven
off from my site because it is close to a trail and wildlife are usually afraid of humans.
Also, there is a lot of poison oak, so the animals would not like to eat these plants.
Observations:
A small branch fell from above onto the log with moss.

Week 3
May 11-15
Chapters 19, 20 & 21
Why are bacteria important for plants in your area? For animals? For soil? (What
role do they play?)
Bacteria are important in supporting certain plant functions and providing them with
nutrients. Bacteria can break down dead animals and plant parts and put nutrients into
the soil for the plants to absorb. For example, bacteria break down nitrogen gas from
the atmosphere into ammonia, a usable source of nitrogen for plants. Also, bacteria are
eaten off of plants by animals. These bacteria can help with functions like digestion.
In general, where are fungi found? What is their general role in the world?
Fungi do not photosynthesise. They grow on decomposing matter or animals to get their
food. Usually, this occurs in damp areas. Fungi break down dead animals and plants
and give nutrients to the soil. They can also be sources of food, medicine, and crop
disease. Mycorrhizae and plant growth are also important roles.
Do you have any in your area? Where? Why? If no, why not?
Yes, I have moss in my area. The moss is on two decomposing logs. My site is also
rather damp because it is shaded by a big tree canopy. My site is perfect for fungi
growth. The fungo are breaking down the old tree logs and providing the soil with
nutrients.

Week 4
May 18-22
Chapters 29
Research the invertebrates in your area.
The only types of invertebrates in my area are worms and spiders.
What is their role?
The worms role in my site is to decompose dead plant material and provide the soil with
nutrients. This spiders help to control the bug population and they are food for birds and
lizards.

Where are they found and why?

The worms are found in moist spots under rocks and the log. This is because worms
need mucus to breath. Mucus on a worms skin helps them obtain oxygen and moist
conditions help them grow mucus. Also, logs decompose and worms eat that. Spiders
are found anywhere suitable for a web. This is between branches or between plants.
This is because those spots are ideal for catching prey.

Week 5
May 25-29
Chapter 22
Identify any bryophytes, seedless vascular plants, gymnosperms, or
angiosperms (monocot or dicot) that you have in your area. (At least 5 different
plants) Explain why you classified each as you did.
My site had many ferns, which are the bryophyte of my area. There were 4 kinds of
Angiosperms. The yellow flowers were monocots because they had parallel veins in
their stems. The long grass on my site was a monocot with parallel veins as well. The
poison oak, eucalyptus leaves, and common green plant were all dicots because they
have the leaf shape with multiple arches.

Week 6
June 1-5
Ch 23 & 24
What are the essential nutrients needed in soil? Why are each important?
Nitrogen, phosphorus, and phosphate are the three main ones Nitrogen is a key
element in plant growth. It is found in all plant cells, in plant proteins and hormones, and
in chlorophyll.Phosphorus helps transfer energy from sunlight to plants, stimulates early
root and plant growth, and hastens maturity. Potassium increases vigour and disease
resistance of plants, helps form and move starches, sugars and oils in plants, and can
improve fruit quality. Sulfur, magnesium, iron, calcium, and other elements are important
too.
Explain 3 different methods of pollination.
Plants provide nectar and pollen as edible rewards to the animals for visiting a flower.
As an animal reaches into a flower for its reward, it brushes against an anther, and
some of the pollen sticks to its body. When the animal visits another flower, some of this
pollen comes off onto the stigma. There are two methods of pollination that occur this
way: insect and animal. Many flowers use colours to attract insects, sometimes helped
by coloured guiding marks. Some have ultraviolet marks that can be seen by insects but

are invisible to human eyes. They can also have a scent. The blue flowers on my site
have these features. Bird-pollinated flowers tend to be large and colourful so birds can
see them easily against a background of leaves. Most bird-pollinated flowers have lots
of nectar.The yellow plants on my site have these features. The wind may pick up pollen
from a grass flower and scatter it all over the place. Only by chance will a little pollen
land on another flower of the same species. To make up for this waste, wind-pollinated
flowers produce a huge amount of pollen. Wind-pollinated flowers tend to have small
dull-coloured petals or, in the case of grasses, no petals at all. They dont need petals,
colour, nectar or scent to attract animals.
What are 3 adaptations plants in your area have?
The grasses have seeds that easily come off so that their seeds can spread in large
quantities. The ferns grow horizontally so that they can block the growth of other plants.
The flowers are colored to attract animals. The moss grows on the log to get the moist
remains of the tree. The green plants grow tall in competition with each other for
sunlight.