Environmental Interaction

Environmental Interaction

Environmental interaction is the way biotic factors (living things) and abiotic factors (nonliving things) interact with each other. Everything that lives in an ecosystem effect each other in some way and keep each other balanced. The effects can be positive or negitive.

Biotic Factors

Picture by Chloe S.
This picture shows the plants that line the beach. The two dominant plants seen here are the naupaka kahakai bush and the coconut tree.

Naupaka Kahakai
Meaning naupaka by the sea
Scientific name: scaevola taccada
Adaptions: the naupaka doesn't require too much watering beacuse it has adapted to living at the beach. It is most commonly found along coastal areas.

Picture by Chloe S.
This picture shows you the whole naupaka kahakai bush.

Picture by Chloe S.
This picture is a close up of a naupaka kahakai flower.
You can see that it is a small, white flower, with all six leaves on one half of it.

Coconut Tree
Scientific name: Cocos nucifera
Uses: This tree is one of the most useful trees in the world. You are able to survive off this tree. It provides food, drinks, and shelter.

Photo by Chloe S.
Here you can see the coconut trees that line Mākaha Beach.

Helmet Urchins
Hawaiian name: Ha‘uke‘uke Kaupali
Scientific name: Colobocentrotus atratus
Adaptions: This urchin is shaped like a helmet to dissipate wave force. It also scrapes alage from rocks for food.

Picture by Chloe S.
In this picture you are able to see where the helemet urchins live.
They are attached to rocks that constantly come in contact with waves.

Picture by Chloe S.
This picture shows a few helmet urchins attached to rocks.
You can easily see its dome shape that lessens the impact of waves on its softer insides.

Picture by Chloe S.
Here you can see that on these rocks are lots of algae.
There are also creatures who live on these rocks like sea snails.

Picture by Chloe S.
This picture shows a close up of the algae found on the rocks in the picture above.

Pipiwai
Scientific name: Theodoxus cariosus
Adaptions: This snail eats the algae found on rocks to survive.

Picture by Chloe S.
This is a close up on the pipiwai which are commonly found in coastal areas on Hawaii.

Abiotic Factors

Pollution
Pollution has a big impact on the Makaha Beach ecosystem. Pollution can kill animals who live here. Many times marine creatures mistake pollution for food and digest unhealthy items like cigarettes.

Photo by Chloe S.
This picture shows the pollution of some person.

Photo by Chloe S.
This is another picture of pollution showing how much people pollute our beaches.

Even if you may not know it, we have a huge impact on the organisms who live in or on beaces. If we pollute the environments they live in then we threaten their chances of survival.

Other example of abiotic factors include the sun, wind, waves, tides, and more. Each one of these factors have a great impact on the ecosystem of Makaha Beach as well as things like pollution.