The importance of being educated about your own ecological environment is directly connected to the sense of awareness that comes with the realization of the many irreversible processes of environmental destruction. Thus, the necessity of having at least basic ecological education is derived of self-responsibility to our own surroundings. The surroundings, in that matter, are dependable on many factors and components that are constantly influencing, and shaping the ecosystem. Each organism adapts not only to climate and other non-living factors (abiotic components), but also to living organisms (biotic components), establishing certain relations between these organisms. In the light of the aforementioned, this paper analyzes the biotic components found in the local ecosystem in Miami, Florida, along with the possible relations with other living organisms in that location.
Classifying the biotic components, in terms of animals, the list of the components includes, but not limited to the following:
- Squirrels
- Bats
- Opossums
- Rats
- Snakes
- Raccoons
- Lizards
All of the aforementioned biotic components are consumers, which based on their ability to digest plant or animal material might be divided into herbivores, omnivores and carnivores. The consumption relation can be seen as the most common and known relation between organisms, where in order to survive the organism consumes the energy of other organisms. Additionally, the aforementioned can be divided between preys and predators. Although not strictly related to animals, some organisms can also be mentioned, which are related to decomposers such as the worms, bacteria
Plants, on the other hand, are mainly producers, where they “capture the sun’s energy through photosynthesis and absorb nutrients from the soil, storing them for future use by themselves and by other organisms.” (“Biotic Components,” 2009) The stored biological compounds can be used by producers, by herbivores or omnivores consumers or the decomposer that breaks down the remains of the producer and the composer. (Raven & Berg, 2006) Due to the large number of plant vegetation in Miami, the list of biotic components might include merely categories of Miami’s vegetation, which includes but not limited to bamboo, flowering trees, fruit trees, grass, heliconia, ginger, costus, palms, roses, shrubs, vines and water plants such algae.
Insects can be classified as decomposers, although there are also plants that can be included in such classification such as algae and fungi mushrooms, molds and etc. Insects might include flies, cockroaches, mosquitoes, spiders, ants and bees. The classification in terms of their consumption, production and decomposition can also be varied, including consumers such as mosquitoes and spiders, producers such as bees and decomposers such as cockroaches.
It can be concluded that the ecosystem is dependable on the relations between the different organisms that inhabit this system. These biotic components, as well as abiotic, maintain the diversity and the stability in the environment. In that regard, species that were always known to be harmful have their role and responsibility in maintaining the status quo in the environment. In that regard, all the relations between the organisms can be applied to certain rules, where everything is interrelated, and has its effect.
References
- Biotic Components. (2009). British Columbia Grasslands.
- Raven, P. H., & Berg, L. R. (2006). Environment (5th ed.). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.