Ecosystem Comparison

Rain forest and Coastal  

The Rain forest-

Abiotic factors in the rain forest are soil, water and rocks. These are abiotic because the are not living things. Biotic factors in the rain forest are trees, monkeys and birds. These are biotic factors because they are living.

Limiting factors of the rain forest are sunlight, predators and water. Sunlight is a limiting factor because the tree coverage is so dense that most plants have to learn to live with a little amount of sunlight. Predators are a limiting factor in every ecosystem because predators limit the population. Water is also a limiting factor because during the season where there is not a lot of rain the plants and animals have to use the little water they are getting.  

Animal adaptations in the rain forest have to do with birds. Birds develop a stronger beak to break nuts so they will have food. Another animal adaptation is the three toed sloth, the three toed sloth grows fungus on is back so that it is camouflaged, it also moves so slowly that its predators cannot see it. Plant adaptations include trees that have thin bark because of the humidity, and plants that have drip-tips on the leaves. Drip-tips are small points on leaves that allow water from rainfalls to drip off of them. Another adaptation for animals is a chameleon, they camouflage themselves to their surroundings.

Symbiotic relationships in the rain forest are, mutualism, parasitism, and commensalism. Mutualism is when each organism benefits, for example; leaf cutter ants and fungus, the leaf cutter ants protect the fungi from pests and mold and also feed it with small pieces of leaves. The ants keep their larvae in the fungi which protects it and feeds it. Then there is parasitism; this is when one organism is harmed by the other one, an example of this is the strangler fig. The strangler fig grows either to the ground or to the sky, and to get nutrients it grows around the tree, then soon it'll take up the root space killing the tree. The last symbiotic relationship is commesalism, this is where one organism benefits without harming the other one, an example of this is; Bromeliads, to get enough light, grow on high branches of trees. This does not do any damage to the tree itself, but it allows the bromeliad to survive.


The abiotics factors for the coastal are temperature, sunlight, and macronutrients. There abiotics because they're not living.  The biotic factors are fish, birds, and plants. There biotic because they're living.

The limiting factors are salinety, predation, and nutrients. Salinety has to do with the salt in the water.  Predation is a limiting factors in every ecosystem. The salt water limits the nutrients.

The giant kelp have bladders that float to the surface for sun and nutrients. The sea otters nostrils and ears close to keep any water out of them.  The lobster gills and claws to fight or protect their selves from others.

Symbiotic Relationships -

Commensalism - Barnacles grow on everything and clean them and th

Parasitism - Many kinds of worms burrow themselves in the scales and gills of the fish.

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