journal 3

During week three we really got into the swing of things. We discussed ecology and what a true ecosystem is. I really enjoy learning about habitats and ecosystems because they are all around me and involve animal life. I finally learned what it means to be a species and what the terms ‘population” and “community” really mean. I thought it was so fascinating to learn about how species such as insects can actually become stronger from things like pesticides by surviving the conditions and passing on the resistance through genetics. It’s amazing what nature can do. I also thought it was really interesting to learn about the way that animals can adapt to circumstances of variations. I got a kick out of learning about the bird that drops their egg in other bird’s nests in hopes of its survival. Not only that but the fact that these eggs are larger and have better chances of being nurtured and survival. Many things in nature can be compared to the way that people act. There is always competition for food or shelter in both worlds but there has to be a certain harmony between creatures within a community for it to work successfully.
There are only two journal questions this week and the first asks me to note the interactions between species in my environment on a daily basis. For me, I don’t have too many things that are obvious living around me as I go about me day. From an animal standpoint there are squrriel, birds, insects, domestic dogs and cats, fish in the near by waters, amphibians such as frogs, snakes and more. Other non-animal species include plants such as flowers, grass, trees, weeds, bushes and many other plant types. From just this week I have seen many birds interact with one another. They sometimes crow at one another, fly together or sit in the same area near one another. I see many squirrels climbing trees and eating things from the ground. The trees are also homes to many of the birds I see and are important aspects of the animals’ habitats.
The second part of the questions for this week asks me to describe an ecosystem that lives nearby me. I live near a popular creek in Issaquah, WA so I though t this would be fun to monitor. Within this area there are many small insects such as ants, beetles, worms, slugs, spiders as well as different amphibians such as frogs and snakes. At this time of the year it is especially fun to see the salmon spawning as well as many other small fish living in the river. Besides the animals there are ferns, grasses, weeds, flowers, trees, mushrooms, moss, algae and blackberry bushes. There of course is soil and rocks as well as a flowing river of water. These animals rely on the water of the river, the trees for shelter and the community of organisms for food. Many insects are located living underneath the rocks and there are many bugs living in the grassy areas. The frogs that I see are living in the watery areas as well as the places with plants. I have impacts on this area by what I put in and around this area. Many people impact this area by mowing and maintaining the land for the human community.