Journal 1: Abiotic and Biotic factors in the River to Sea Preserve

There are two main components that have an effect on an ecosystem. These influences are abiotic and biotic factors. A biotic factor is a living organism that affects other living organisms. These include but are not limited to fish, mammals, and insects. Two examples of biotic factors present in the River to Sea Preserve are the Cannonball Jellyfish and the Horseshoe Crab.

Both the Cannonball Jellyfish and the Horseshoe Crab are affected by abiotic factors. An abiotic factor is a non-living chemical or physical part of an environment that affect the living organisms and the functioning of the ecosystem. The Cannonball Jellyfish is affected by water. Water is a simple abiotic factor but absolutely imperative to the survival of this species. Water serves as the Jellyfish' home, feeding grounds, and mating grounds. This relates to the River to Sea preserve because this preserve has a severely large abundance of water. The Horseshoe crab is affected by sand. Sand is also a quite simple factor but still very important to the Horseshoe Crab's survival. The crab burrows into the sand, using it for different purposes such as, shelter. It also digs into the sand to wait for prey, since it is not easily spotted. This is relevant to the River to Sea Preserve because the preserve also has a large abundance in sand in both the river and sea side.

Posted on October 14, 2015 02:30 AM by i3zacharycoo