Ecology ProjectBy Shannon Tamez10th Grade Biology

Mr. Bruinius

Seed Dispersal

The wind spreads these grass seeds which then get planted in different areas.

Seed Dispersal

These seeds can cling to your pants or to an animal, and then it can get dropped off and grow in a new location.

These seed pods pop and the seeds fly out and are planted to grow in a new location.

Seed Dispersal

Other seeds are planted when a bird eats the seeds, flies off and the seeds pass through it’s digestive tract and then is dropped and planted in a new location.

I did not find an example of this.

Seed Dispersal

Invasive Species:Russian Olive Trees Spanish Lace Vine

Invasive Species – Sage Brush

Kentucky Blue Grass

Decorative Grass

Decomposer - FungusThis decomposer is called lichen and where I found it was on the side of the road going up a mountain.

It contributes to our ecosystem by how it breaks down the rocks into soil.

Hornet – Insect and insect eggsThe way how I know that the hornet is an insect is because it has 6 legs and 3 body parts.

I think that this insect is a herbivorous because of how small it is and because it has no teeth to bite in meat.You can see insect eggs in the hive.

Camouflage

I found this little insect type in the grass which really blends in but I don’t know what the name of it is. What makes it camouflage is the color of it and it makes it hard for birds and lizards to find them.

Chosen plant

This plant was on the side of a road that was on a top of a mountain and the plant is like a little small rabbit brush. When I first saw the plant I thought its roots were going to be small but yet they were long and kind of fat, and reached way down into the earth, probably because it has to search far for water.

Rabbit brush

A scavenger is a mouse or crow or raven. Mice search for food and practically eat anything they can find. Crows and ravens also do the same things like for example I went hiking and we left our food in the bed of the truck and when we came back we saw the ravens fly off with a Hot Cheeto in its beak.

Scavenger

Deciduous Leaves- Poplar

Trees that have deciduous leaves or leaves that fall off in the autumn help conserve it’s energy and doesn’t need as much water to keep the leaves growing. This is good because there is not as much water in the fall and winter months.These leaves are from a Bradford Pear tree.

ParasitismParasitism- I believe this is an example of parasitism because the spider or moths feed off the tree which benefits itself but yet harms the tree by how it is killing the tree and so the tree is not benefiting at all.

An example of commensalism is that when cattle stir up the grass or dirt then these little bugs pop up and then these birds jump up and grab them.

The birds benefit by getting their food and cattle don’t get bothered.

I wasn’t able to get a picture so I hope this is a good example.

Commensalism

An example of mutualism is when a humming bird gets nectar from a flower.

The humming bird gets food which benefits itself and the flower benefits by getting its pollen spread around to other plants.

Couldn’t get a picture but I have seen the humming birds in action.

Mutualism

Navajo Tea

I could not find tea that was still growing so I took a picture of some dried tea that we had at home.

Navajo Soap Weed - YuccaThe yucca or as Navajo soap weed could be used as shampoo and can still be used in that way which is better than buying shampoo.

The yucca can also be very nice to have around for a beautiful example of nature.

Ponderosa Pine Tree

Leaf From Oak Tree

Juniper Trees

The “berries” which people call them are actually cones which I myself never knew.

Isopod (pill bug)A pill bug would be more like a crustacean because it has a hard shell to protect themselves and it can’t be an insect because it doesn’t have three body parts.