Capturing the Western Frontier

 

     My profession as a property manager requires me to travel throughout southern California; scouting foreclosed properties with the intent to aquire them at auction. In the course of a week, I have observed and explored several different types of ecosystems, analyzing the biotic and abiotic factors of each one. These are MY OWN photos, a small glimpse of capturing the western frontier.  

Aguanga, CA
Biotic factors include the shrubs displaying a uniform distribution pattern. It was very quiet the only sound was the wind whispering, and there wasn't even one bird in the sky. Abiotic factors include the rocks, dead tree(bottom right corner), and dirt/sand. Interactions may include competition between plants for resources(water) and space.

                                                                     
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                                                                                                                            Big Bear Lake, CA

Biotic factors include all the organisms living in the water including: fish, bacteria, and plants. From my observations, the San Bernardino forest is looking quite healthy, with thousands of alive and dead pine trees providing a habitat for many species of birds as seen in the background. The birds and trees display a commensalism relationship, the birds live in the trees and the trees are unaffected.
When I was there I also noticed a slimy green substance lining the banks of the lake, which might include some algae or decaying plant matter(abiotic) as seen in the bottom left corner. The lake itself is also an abiotic factor.

 

I took this photo on Highway 18 near Crestline, biotic factors include all the green vegetation and birds in the sky. Abiotic factors include rocks, dirt and ice (snow) in the winter, and the smog generated by San Bernardino in the distance.

 QUEST THROUGH THE DESERT

 

The Mojave Desert covers a significant portion of southeastern California, it is home to the San Jacinto Mountains and cities like Barstow, Palm Springs, CA and Las Vegas, NV. In this picture I took off Highway 62 going towards Yucca Valley, you can see a perfect example of uniform distribution displayed by the shrubs. As I kneeled quietly, I noticed several lizards and other reptilians, sunbathing. All of which are biotic  factors. Some abiotic factors are the many small rocks and sand covering the landscape, also the hills in the background which affect climate.

 



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