Producers and Consumers

Three producers present at my site:

1. Breadfruit Tree

• For this producer, I think that it is able to feed around four species present at my site. A primary consumer of fallen breadfruits are worms. A secondary consumer that preys on worms are birds. The tertiary consumer that feeds on birds are cats.

2. Coconut Tree

• The coconut trees at my site are able to feed about two to three different species. A primary consumer would be ants. The secondary consumer that feeds on ants are lizards. The tertiary species that consumes the secondary consumers are birds.

3. Papaya Tree

• This producer can feed around six species at my site. One primary consumer of the tree's fruits are fruit flies. A secondary consumer that feeds on fruit flies are frogs. As surprising as it sounds, the tertiary consumer that feeds on frogs are coconut crabs.

Cellular Respiration

Overview of Cellular Respiration

When oxygen is present, cellular respiration releases chemical energy to make ATP from sugar and other carbon-based molecules. Since the mitochondrion can't make ATP directly from food, it depends on an aerobic process known as glycolysis. Glycolysis is a necessity for cellular respiration in order for the mitochondria to produce ATP. The two parts involved in cellular respiration are the matrix and the inner mitochondrial membrane.

From this lesson, I learned that cellular respiration has the reverse equation of photosynthesis. This means that the products of photosynthesis are the reactants of cellular respiration, which are sugar and CO2. I also learned that the Krebs cycle was named after the scientist who discovered the process. The Krebs cycle takes place in the mitochondria's inner space, also known as the matrix.

Cellular Respiration in Detail

Glycolysis takes place in the cytoplasm before the cellular respiration takes place. Cellular respiration is made up of two processes, which are the Krebs cycle and the electron transport chain. The Krebs cycle's main function is to transfer high energy electrons to molecules that carry them to the electron transport chain. The proteins utilize the energy from the electron transport chain to pump hydrogen ions against a concentration gradient.

I learned that cellular respiration makes many more ATP than glycolysis. The electron transport takes place in and across the inner mitochondrion. The difference between cellular respiration and photosynthesis is that cellular releases stored energy as ATP and sugar. In contrast photosynthesis stores energy from sunlight as chemical energy.

Leaves and Photosynthesis

The Hibiscus Plant

This is a flowering plan that blooms Hibiscus flowers. The Hibiscus plant at my site is about 5 and a half feet. The plant is in direct contact with the sunlight. The leaves are thin. They have an abundant amount of vascular bundles to transfer the minerals to the plant's roots. Each of the leaves are about 3 inches or longer. The estimate of the amount of leaves in the plant is around two hundred fifty.

The Papaya Tree

At my site, the papaya tree is only about 3 and a half feet. The tree is too young to have sprouted any papaya fruits or small flowers. The tree was planted under another tree, but the plant is still in contact with the sunlight. Each of the leaves are about 30 centimeters. The leaves are quite huge, allowing it to absorb more photons. The tree has about fifteen leaves.

Mutations

Organism: Micronesian Honeyeater

(Micronesian Myzomela)

I imagine the honeyeater to have larger talons in order for it to capture larger prey. This mutation would help the honeyeater to expand its food selection range from nectar and small insects.

The insects located around its habitat might decrease because of the mutation.

The mutation was selected for the honeyeater's chance at a larger population. If this happens, there is a high possibility that the honeyeater will pollinate more areas around the CNMI.

Species

The Mariana Fruit Bat (or Mariana Flying Fox)

Pteropus P. Mariannus from the family of Pteropodidae.

Examples of other organisms in its family: 

Philippine Dawn Bat, Large Samoan Flying Fox, Pygmy Fruit Bat, Swift Fruit Bat, etc...

How it came to the CNMI: 

Some scientists predict that its ancestors might have migrated from the West (i.e: Asia).

Sources: 

http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/18737/0 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Megabat

Adaptations

Hibiscus

Adaptations: They have bright colors to attract other organisms towards itself. They also have large petals to ensure that large amounts of water and sunlight are absorbed.

Interactions: The Hibiscus is pollinated by butterflies and bees.

Fish-kill Tree

Adaptations: The Fish-kill Tree developed strong and sturdy trunks to survive storms. They are also able to grow on cliffs.
Interactions: Birds use its sturdy branches to build nests.

Marianas Fruit Bat
Adaptations: Since moving to the Marianas, the fruit bat  changed their diet from insects to tropical fruits.
Interactions: The fruit bat eats the fruits of surrounding trees (papaya, breadfruit, etc...).

Site Description

My site is known as the Alaguan Bay. The bay is located near the village of Sinapalo on the island of Rota. Only a few people visit because of its distance from the village. The Alaguan Bay is a view where people can see the ocean.

The key abiotic feature of the site is its stone wall. The stone wall is located at the edge of the cliff to ensure the safety of the people who visit every once in a while. There are also a few tables that could be used during a picnic.

There are a lot of biotic features present at Alaguan Bay. There are many plants, like the Hibiscus tree, Plumeria Tree, etc. Many varieties of insects could be seen around the trees. A variety of birds can be spotted at the lookout. In the evening, the endangered Marianas Fruit Bat can be seen flying down from the mountain.