10+Edge+(Ecotone)











My group was assigned to study the edge and this is the analysis of what we saw. The edge has many biotic and abiotic factors. They work together very well. Some examples of biotic factors are: grass, shrubs, squirrels, trees, bugs and flowers. Some examples of abiotic factors are: soil, rocks, dead leaves on the ground, and dead twigs. When the biotic factor dies it goes into the soil. The soil is an abiotic factor and when the biotic factor such as a squirrel dies, it makes the soil richer when it is broken down by mushrooms and ants. The richer soil helps another biotic factor such as a tree. So each biotic factor helps the abiotic factor, which also helps another biotic factor. They all work together to make a great community. The soil was covered in many dead organisms, which made it richer. Some more interesting things I saw were squirrel nests, mushrooms and a lot of shrubs. This shows how the mushroom is there to decompose. The squirrel nest showed how animals lived there. The shrubs showed how homes for insects are everywhere and that the soil must be good. I also noticed two different parts of our small ecosystem. One side of the edge was the grass field, which contained of grass and more grass. The other side was the end of the forest containing of trees, small shrubs, and a lot of ground cover. This was very interesting because the edge is like two ecosystems in one, when the area completely changes. This ecosystem was very fascinating to study.



My group was to study the edge and this is a physical description of what we saw. Our edge contained basically two different types of area. On one side of the edge, it is basically a monoculture, containing mostly grass. On the other side of the edge, there is the outside of the forest. This side of the edge contained dead leaves, shrubs at the most 5 feet high, and one tree, which created a large amount of biodiversity, considering the many different types of shrubs and leaves. We saw signs of biotic life, including a squirrel’s nest, mushrooms, and the many flowers that were growing on the bushes. There were many abiotic factors too, including rocks, soil, and all of the ground cover. The ground cover was a large variety of tree bark, grass, small shrubs, twigs, tiny rocks, dead leaves, and many others. The succession affected the edge in two different ways, on the grassy field-like side of the edge that was monitored a lot by humans. To create a safe place for children, the grassy field-like side was controlled were only the grass grew and nothing other than that did. Also, the vines on the start of the forest side were cut to ensure that the vines didn’t wrap around the trees and steal their nutrients. That is a basic description of the edge and the two separate parts you could divide it in.

Edge, Where everything meets, Found by in-between clear grass fields and forests, Where mushrooms decompose logs, A great source of life, Living creatures from squirrels to birds.