Focus Questions

Week 1:
1. What California biome is your area and why?
a. My biome contains large amounts of low, dry grass, a hot
temperature, low lying shrubs, and thinish trees, so I believe me biome is
close to a temperate grassland or a tropical forest.
2. What relationships are there in the site?
a. One clear relationship is between the tree and the plants.
The tree provides shade which in turn helps the small grass and plants
grow and not dry out.
b. There is a relationship between insects or small animals and
the plants in the site. The plants grow and then the insects or animals will
eat it
c. Spiders also have a relationship with insects because the
spider puts out webs to catch and eat insects in the area.
3. Describe a food chain in the area.
a. The plants are at the bottom of the chain. They are followed
by insects and small animals that eat the plants. Finally there are some
predators like spiders that feed off of small animals.
Week 2:
1. What is mans impact in your area?
a. People have stepped around on the plants in the area
b. Man has increased the Earths temperature from global
warming, which has impacted my site and made it harder for the plants in
the site to survive in the hotter temperatures.
2. What are the limiting factors in your area for plants? For animals?
a. The plants are limited because of the lack of shade in the
site. There is only 1 tree to protect the plants in my site and so the plants
that do not get enough shade from the tree start to wither and die off.
b. The animals have a small amount of plants in the area and
so it limits the amount of animals that can be there.
Week 3:
1. Why are bacteria important for plants in your area? For animals? For soil?
a. bacteria are important for plants because they break down
Nitrogen gas into ammonia, which can then be used by plants. Bacteria
also break down dead animals and and put nutrients into soil for plants to
use
2. In general, where are fungi found? What is their role in the world?
a. Fungi are generally found in moist and shaded areas and
feed off of decomposing matter. They help give nutrients to the soil
3. Do you have any in your area? Where? Why? If no, why not?

a. I have not encountered fungi in my site yet. This is probably

because not many dead things are on the ground for them to live on and it
is rather hot at my sight. There is also minimal shade in my area for them
Week 4:
1. What is an invertebrates role in your area?
a. Some invertebrates like worms and such in my site help
bring nutrients to the soil and keep the plants in my site alive. Some bugs
are also food for some animals.
2. Where are they found and why?
a. There are a lot of bugs that fly around in my site that feed on
plants. There are also spiders in the plants and tree to catch bugs. Worms
are found in the ground so they can feed on organic matter.
Week 5:
1 & 2. Identify at least 5 different plants in your site and explain why you classified
them the way you did.
a. There are yellow flowers in my site. Ive identified them as
angiosperms and dicots because they have multiple branches at the tip.
b. This orange-ish plant appears to be another angiosperm
dicot because of its three buds at the top.
c. These are two different types of leaves, but they are again
angiosperm dicots because of the branches from the sides of the stem.
d. Finally the dandelion is an angiosperm dicot from the
multiple seeds at the top.
Week 6:
2. What are the essential nutrients needed in soil?
a. The main essential nutrients are nitrogen, potassium, and
phosphorus, but sulfur, magnesium, and calcium help too.
3. Explain different methods of pollination you see in your area. Give at least 3
examples.
b. The flowers in my site have pollen that spreads in the air
through the wind, bees also are able to spread the pollen. Butterflies in the
site also spread pollen to other plants.
4. What are some adaptations the plants in your area have?
c. The yellow flowers in the area seem to be adapted to
withstand heat, unlike the purple flowers that died off in my site. The tree
also seems to need a minimal amount of water to survive, which I can see
from its lack of leaves and dry leaves created. There is also a small plant
in my site near the tree that appears to be adapted to need minimal water,
as it is similar to the tree near it.