Balance of an Ecosystem

Author's Note: In this piece I want the reader to understand the importance of balance in every type of ecosystem. Every animal and plant is important in it's habitat. If the population increases or decreases the effect will be negative on the biome. These effects can include loss of food and loss of habitat. In this piece I plan on improving my word choice.

Ecosystems rely on one thing; balance. Every animal and organism in it’s biome relies on each other to keep it balanced. If they fail, it will result in extinction or loss of animals leaving to find a better habitat. There are three major rolls in the food chain that help keep the balance; producers, consumers, and decomposers. Each of these groups have a important part in keeping the circle of life running.

The producers keep the food chain stable by taking over the base of it. Producers are known for producing their own food from the sun. This process is known as photosynthesis. It consists of using energy, carbon dioxide, and water to make glucose. This process keeps plants living and feeding others. Producers are not only plants, but algae and some types of bacteria are also included in this group.  The secondary group, consumers, benefit the most from this group.

Consumers are not able to make their own food so they get it from plants or other producers. There are three types of consumers that make up the largest part of the food chain; herbivores, omnivores, carnivores. Herbivores only eat vegetation, carnivores only eat meat, while omnivores eat both vegetation and meat. Consumers can both be prey and predator depending on the animal.

Decomposers are known for dieting on dead animals and plants. They clean up the floor of the habitat, feed themselves, and release nutrients into the ground. The most common decomposers are fungi, mold, and bugs. Although these creatures are not pretty to look at, without them the earth would be covered in trash and the producers would not be able to get the nutrients they need.

The circle that these roles create is very important but very fragile. Human actions can create chaos among creatures in every type of habitat. One type of negative action is hunting. Hunting can help keep control of some populations but it can get to be too much. For example, if hunting got to be too much for deer, and they became extinct, coyotes and wolves would have to give up their larger meals and move on to more of the smaller meals, such as small rodents. By this action the race of the small rodents could be in endangered. Cutting down trees can also cause a risk to many animals. Prey will find lack of protection and will be forced to either move to find more or be found by predators.

The food chain has always been a key factor in the balance of an ecosystem. Each level can obtain something and provide something for another. With this cycle it is able to control the population and keep it at a reasonable size. Each ecosystem has different types of food chains with different types of animals, but they all provide the sense of balance that they need to live and keep their species alive.  

Tree

Author's Note: In this piece I wanted to think about something that I have never really understood or looked at before. I feel as though trees are all around us but we never really look at them. I believe that, like humans, trees have there own identity. As people we have different layers that make us special, but once you take away those layers you find the desire to do something in everyone. That something would be to succeed even in a motive as broad as life itself.

I come across a green forest abundant with life. I sit and close my eyes, breathing in the rich air. My hands grasp the ground and hold on to this moment. My hands rests upon something cool. I lift it up and try to determine the specimen that I hold. My hands graze over the flesh and take in the delicate features. It reminds my of paper with little grooves in it. Almost like the valleys of a finger print. Like it has its own identity. I then round the edges and feel a slight prick as I move along.  Finally I open my eyes to see a green teardrop shape with a stem. My mind immediately comes up with the word leaf. I smile to myself in amusement and close my eyes once again.

 I then reach out to the side of me and skim the skin of something rough and harsh. I press on it and I feel little pokes all over the face of my hand. I then remove it and feel the residue of the hide grip my hand. I then knead my head together and feel then fall off one by one. I then go back to the harsh feeling and remove a piece of the shell into my hands. Parts of it fall apart but the heart stays strong against the brute force of my hand. As I drop the freshly made carcass I open my eyes and eye the brown stiff barrel that looks to be shedding. The words trunk and bark fall into my head.

I then move backwards and take in the matter in front of me. Tree effortlessly traces into my head. The bottom is dull and protected, like it hides the answer to life within it. But the top ranges in colors that fly freely through the wind. It looks vulnerable and weak but still strong in a way. After analyzing the full object I decide that I prefer the top of it and admire the open attitude that radiates off of it. However I do admirer the bottom also because with out that strong essence, everything would fall apart.

  

Author's Note: I just finished the book "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time". For this piece I am writing from the point of view of Christopher. Christopher understands things differently from the way that we understand things. I wanted to try to capture the way that he thinks and tie it to this story. In this piece I am working on transitions.

I woke up today on my left side, which meant that it will be a good day today. Whenever I wake up on my back it will be a bad day. My father told me that I don't have to decide on what type of day it will be right away, but I like having things planned out so there are no surprises. I don't like surprises.

I started my daily routine in the bathroom to get ready. I then went to my bedroom to finish up. Afterwards I went down the steps while counting each one. As I reached 12 my left foot found the ground of the bottom floor. I walked into the kitchen and prepared for my breakfast. Today was March 5, an odd number day,  so I'll eat a banana and eggs. On even number days I eat bacon and toast. I peeled my banana and sat down. My father then came down the stairs in a clumsy manor. We both exchanged greetings and then silence took over. I like silence. It lets me think without other people confusing me. If there are too many people talking I close my eyes and sit down. Mother taught me how to do this when I was four. It helps me relax and concentrate on one thing. 

Today is a weekend so I have no school. I like school because I like learning new things. My teacher is trying to get me to talk more about what I learn, but I don't understand why. I like keeping my ideas and thoughts to myself because other people have different thoughts and I don't agree with them. I think that my thoughts are more accurate because I put more thought into certain subjects unlike other people.

Today I am home alone because father has to go to work. I watch TV from 9:00am-1:00pm. I stay on animal planet the whole time because I like to learn new things about animals. Yesterday I learned that male seahorses have babies instead of females.

Father came through the door at 5:00pm. He brought home pizza hut. He took out a piece for me and set it on my plate. I looked at the sausage and picked off every piece. My father watches me and laughs to him self. I do not understand why this is funny. I refuse to eat things that are grey. It is a dirty color and I don't want to eat dirt.

After my two slices of pizza, without sausage, I headed upstairs for bed. Every night I go to bed at 6:00pm so I won't be tired in the morning.  I started my routine in the bathroom again and ended it in my bedroom, but before I got in bed I fed my pet fish. I had two tiny goldfish. Father says that its amazing that they are still alive, but I know that's its because I keep track what they eat, when they eat, and how much they eat. I said goodnight to both of them and climbed into the left side of the bed and closed my eyes.

Sugar

Author's Note: This piece started as a stream of consciousness. I was trying to keep the passage past tense throughout the whole post. I was also working on opening myself up to writing.                  

My brother and  your sister are outside so we decide to find some fun in the kitchen. I get out a mixing bowl and a few spoons for mixing. You start looking in the cabinet and fridge to look for ingredients. I laugh to myself as I watch you get mad at yourself for not finding the peanuts. I decide to help you out and take two seconds to find them. I then give you a funny look as you roll your eyes and head back to the center of the kitchen. I pick up a few more ingredients and follow you. We start with the peanuts and pour a generous amount in the bowl. Next I scoop in some peanut butter as you put the sugar in. We have no idea what we're making but we don't care. We haven't gotten one of these kinds of days in a long time. I feel happy to be able to do this with you. I then melt some butter and put it in. We take turns as we mix the creation in the bowl. I grab my radio so we can listen to music. Our favorite song comes on and we start dancing like maniacs. Unfortunately you hold a spoon and whip it in the air. As a result I get a glob of peanut butter on my cheek. You start laughing and end up being on the ground. You roll on the floor with laughter that keeps coming, as I get red and start laughing myself. I sat on the floor but not without getting a scoop of peanut butter. When you finally sit up I smear the peanut butter across your cheek. We then start laughing again. We only stop when we can't breath any longer. Standing up, we decide to finish our dish with the peanut butter still on our faces. We finish up the last touches and put it in the freezer to freeze. Again, we sit down and talk about the most randomest things. Some have us laughing again while other make us want to cry. I love this about our friendship, we could totally be ourselves around each other. As I look at you I can see the changes that you are going through. And I am sure that you can see the changes with in me. We then hug each other to try and remember this time now, because it may never come again. 

Revolutionary War

Author's Note: I wrote this piece because I think that it is important to understand how the Boston Massacre affected the war and the way the soon to be Americans thought about the British. I purposely used creative nonfiction because I didn't want to write a report with just facts in it. When I learn about history I put myself in the time or place to understand it more.  I wanted the reader to understand what it was like to feel what was going on. My audience for this piece is others in the Academy, including the teachers, and students. In this piece I am working on transitions.

I was walking with my mother as we went to the center of town to meet up with my father. I saw the soldiers standing at guard as we walked past them. These soldiers were not very welcomed, that I knew. We were about thirty feet away from them when I started hearing yelling. Everyone in the town turned to see a mob throwing stones sticks and whatever they could find. A British officer called in additional soldiers. My mother grabbed my hand and started to walk away slowly just like everyone around us. She then covered my eyes but I could still hear gunshots and cries of pain.  I later found out that I would never see my father again.

The Royal troops were not welcome from the start. To the colonists it seemed as if they were always watched like fish in a fish bowl. But this time they did not only come to watch, they came to enforce a recent heavy tax burden. A mob was then formed around a British sentry who used verbal abuse to make the soldiers mad. Soon  more people joined the mob and then started throwing things. Without orders, the soldiers fired into the crowd.

Five people were killed and six were wounded. Eight soldiers were then arrested for murder. Six of the soldiers were acquitted and the other two were given reduced sentences. This caused a lot more tension with colonists and British. The British took away good people who were fighting for what was right. Most of them had families and jobs that they would never see again. This made the colonists angry and maybe thinking of their chances if they fought back.

Nature's Beauty

Cool and crisp by night 

Owls hunting for field mice

As the field mouse scurries for warmth 

By day, dark grey clouds

Geese flying south 

Days growing short

Leaves slowly turning bright colors

Apple orchards hopping with pickers 

Pumpkins and children galore 

Come all, let's celebrate

Autumn