Ecological Analysis (Post #4)

     Some abiotic factors that affect our plants are sunlight and water. These are the most important ones, as they are essential for the plant's survival. Some biotic factors affecting our plants are all of the other plants. Since the nine plants are all in a confined area and are relatively close to each other, they are all in competition with one another. Bacteria affect plants too, whether it's helping make food for the plant, or harming it.
     Like previously stated, our plants are in competition with each other due to the fact that they are in a somewhat small area and are all trying to get the same thing. Competition is another abiotic factor, and our plants are all competing for water (and in some cases) sunlight. Some of the bigger plants could potentially block out sunlight for the smaller plants, resulting in the smaller plants having stunted growth or just dying off completely. They're also competing for space. The bigger plants have already asserted their dominance in the area, and some of the smaller plants are struggling to find a space to grow.
     The winners/losers are determined by who survives and who doesn't. And in some cases, there are no winners or losers. A plant could die off and then sprout back up a while later. Another way to determine winners/losers is which plant actually sprouts a vegetable and not just leaves. A loser won't sprout anything or will just die off, and a winner will successfully produce food that tastes good.
     Not only do plants fight with each other for resources, but they also talk to each other. It isn't exactly talking as much as it is psychically warning each other that danger is near. They can do this by reaching the fungus in the soil and using it to send messages to each other.
      There weren't any major recent disasters or lava flows, so there doesn't seem to be any kind of succession, but recovering from the drought from a couple years back could be a form of secondary succession. Another possibility is that the garden is recovering from last summer's sweltering heat, and our plants are the start of secondary succession.