Journal 3

At the River to Sea Preserve there are many different types of ecological factors displayed. Species show how the interact with abiotic and biotic factors. They have symbiotic relationships with other species. Species even show how they have adapted throughout time. There are three main types of adaptations, those are: to accommodate the environment, to secure food and avoid being eaten, and to ensure successful reproduction. Without these adaptations, many many species would have never survived.
The first type of adaptation is accommodation to the environment. This type of adaptation is used by species when the environment changes and they need to change as well. When crabs inhabit rocks, and the rocks start being eroded, then the crabs must accommodate this and find a new place to live. If you look around docks, piers, seawalls, and other man-made structures that are partially in water, you will see that many crabs inhabit the pilings and such. They have found these areas to be long lasting and inhabited by other creatures that they benefit from, either symbiotically or from predation.

The next type of adaptation is to secure food and avoid being eaten. Again, we can look at the crab once more. To avoid being eaten, crabs have adapted to their surroundings. The level of camouflage is nearly unmatched. Crabs are able to hide from predators by blending in with their surroundings. This camouflage also allows them to hide from their prey until the last moment and strike at them. Crabs that do not have as good of camouflage as others have lose in the natural selection game.

The final type of adaptation is to ensure successful reproduction. A good species to use as an example of a unique and assured reproduction is turtles. Sea Turtles drag themselves up on the coast and bury their eggs in the sand. This keeps them safe from predators during incubation and it helps to regulate temperature. Once hatched, turtles make their way to the ocean and will return to the same beach to lay their eggs.

Posted on November 3, 2015 03:32 PM by i3williamnau