Journal

Yesterday, I took a while on my way to dragon boat practice to really take in all of my surroundings. I think I really take for granted how beautiful Vancouver really is; there's all sorts of plants, animals and scenery that can't be observed anywhere else. 

On my walk to the skytrain station, I found myself walking on a field of green grass...

• I saw green grass and clovers.. since they're green I believe that makes them producers, since they undergo photosynthesis, and are food to many other organisms. 

• I saw those white daisies.. they're flowering plants, making them angiosperms, and also producers. 

Once I got to false creek I saw...

• Algae growing in the water. Algae are also producers considering they are food for many marine animals!

• We also saw a bunch of seals in the creek when we were out on the water, but unfortunately I couldn't take a picture. Seals are consumers.

I also spotted some...

• trees.. which are also producers, as well as the long grass growing on the rocks near the shore. 

Marijuana grow-ops are common occurrences in our daily news. In an article published by BBC News, we learn about a grow-op bust in Wickford. Approximately 300 plants were found, and a 51 year old woman and a 56 year old man were arrested. 

30 May 2012

Cannabis found at Wickford house after tip-off

Cannabis was found drying in an outhouse at the address in Wickford

Two people have been arrested after a police raid in Essex uncovered 400 cannabis plants.

Police went to a house in Arterial Road, Wickford, on Tuesday after a call from a member of the public that cannabis may be growing there.

An outbuilding equipped with fans and hydroponics contained about 300 plants while another had more plants. A third building contained a drying room.

A woman aged 51 and a man aged 56 were arrested.

The woman is being questioned on suspicion of production of cannabis and abstraction of electricity.

The man was arrested on suspicion of cultivation of cannabis with intent to supply and was released on police bail until 8 August.

A firearm was also found and seized along with the drugs.

BBC News 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-essex-18261714

Ecological Pyramids

Pyramids of Energy represent energy relationships among trophic levels. A pyramid of energy demonstrates the total amount of incoming energy at eash successive level. 


                                     Pyramid of Energy

In the diagram, the producers are consume the least amount of energy. Primary consumers are also known as first-order consumers. Primary consumers are mainly herbivores. Secondary consumers, or second-order consumers are primary carnivores. Third order consumers, or Tertiary Consumers are seconary carnivores. 

Producers, Consumers and Decomposers

 In every ecosystem, organisms take on the roles of producers, consumers and decomposers. 


Producers are photosynthetic organisms that make their own food from inorganic substances. This includes all of the green plants we have been studying that undergo photosynthesis, such as trees, ferns, moss... 


Animals fall into the Consumer category, as they get their energy from the producers. There are many different levels of consumers, depending on the food they consume for their energy. All of the animals, such as frogs, bugs, humans... they are all consumers.


Decomposers are organisms that get their energy from dead organic matter. Bacteria and Fungi are common decomposers.

Ecological Succession

In this diagram, we see how the life develops and grows in an area that began as exposed rocks. The Lichens and Mosses are the pioneer species, as they were the first to colonize in the area. This sparks development and soon we go from grasses, herbs and shrubs to the pine, spruce and birch trees found in the climax community.

Ecological Succession is a process where an existing community of organisms is replaced by a new community over long periods of time. Many times, succession occurs in places where no living things have existed before. The first organisms to colonize in a certain area are known as pioneer species. Lichens are typical pioneers. Eventually, succession leads to a stable group of organisms known as a climax community.

Since all of the land plants we are studying have evolved from plants in marine environments, such as algae, they have many adaptations that allow them to survive outside of the water. 

Moss only require water for fertilzation in order to survive.

Ferns need water to fertilization, but also have specialized tissues, leaves and roots. 

Conifers and Flowering Plants (angiosperms) no longer need water for fertilization, but utilize different methods such as pollination. They also have advanced specialized tissues. 

All of these characteristics are what permits these plants to survive on land.

Transition From Water to Land

Plant Group	Mosses	Ferns	Conifers	Flowering Plants
Stiff support tissue	absent	present	advanced	advanced
Conducting Tissue	absent	present	advanced	advanced
True leaves, stems, and roots	absent	present	advanced	advanced
Pollen	absent	absent	present	present
Seeds	absent	absent	exposed on scale	enclosed in fruit
Flowers and fruits	absent	absent	absent	present
Water required for fertilization	yes	yes	no	no

Angiosperms


Angiosperms are flowering plants. Reproduction is always sexual, and involves a process called pollination. Unlike gymnosperms, angiosperms have seeds that are protected with an outer wall, that develop into structures called fruit. There are over a quarter of a million species of angiosperms all around the world. Angiosperms have evolved specialized tissues that permits them to live through extreme heat, cold and long periods of drought.


There are two types of angiosperms:


Monocots

• Have one seed leaf
• Veins lie parallel to one another
• Petals and flower parts are found in multiples of three
• Have vascular bundles throughout the stem composed of xylem and 
  phloem tissues
  
  
  

  Monocot

Here we have a Monocot Angiosperm. You can tell that it's a monocot because it has 6 petals, which is a multiple of 3.

Dicots

• Have two seed leaves
• Veins lie in a branching network
• Petals and flower parts are found in multiples of four or five
• Have vascular bundles arranged in a ring near the outside of the stem composed of xylem and 
  phloem tissues

                   Dicot

Here we have a Dicot Angiosperm. You can tell that it's a dicot because it has five petals.

Alternation of Generations

This is a diagram explaining how angiosperms reproduce through alternation of generations. Compared to all of the plants we've looked at before, angiosperms spend the least amount of time in the haploid stage. We are accustomed to seeing angiosperms in the diploid stage with all of the beautiful flowers that blossom during the spring.

 Corn, wheat, lilies, daffodils, orchids, and palms are specimens that are Monocots. Roses, clover, tomatoes, oaks, and daisies are specimens that are Dicots.

Similar to gymnosperms, angiosperms also have many contributing assets that aid in survival in a land environment. 

The flower is essential for reproduction, as it is where pollination takes place. It is easy for angiosperms to reproduce on land because water is no longer essential; pollinators are. 

Pollen, fruit, roots, stems, leaves, and vascular tissues aid life on land in the same way as gymnosperms. Also, enclosed seeds permit these plants to survive harsh conditions, and to only start growing once conditions are ideal.