Cole+C's+Journal+(130)

For my ecosystem project I have chosen to observe Kawainui Marsh on the windward side of Oahu. I decided to use this area for my project because of its massive size. Because it is so large, it enables it to support many different kinds of animals, native and non-native alike, and have many different kinds of niches within it. Because there are so many different animals in my area, it will be much easier to see the evidence of natural selection and what is causing it. It will also be very interesting to see all of the different kinds of animals that inhabit Kawainui Marsh because it is so big and has so much to offer and also to see the amount of animals that are native to Oahu the inhabit this Marsh compared to the amount of non-native animals that inhabit it.
 * __Free Journal__**

In the area of Kawainui Marsh that I am studying there are a few different niches. The first one is the ponds, around the marsh there are small ponds of brown water with small grass a dirt islands within them, ducks and different kinds of fish inhabited this niche. Another niche I observed were the trees, this is where birds get their food and shelter and also some insects call their home. The trees also produce dead pant remains the provide shelter for many different insects and a very good feeding ground for birds and other insect eaters. Grass is another niche, chickens and other birds looking for seeds and insects mostly inhabit this area but there are also some cows that inhabit this area of the marsh as you can see in the pictures below. I also found a few mud holes that could possibly be inhabited by pigs and insects.

Also, there are many different kinds of plants that are native to our island of Oahu in Kawainui Marsh. Because of these plants, there are more animals that are native to these islands and have been using these plants for food and shelter for centuries. Some of these animals could possibly die without the certain kind of seed or flower that comes from this plant or tree because it is not able to eat any others.

It is going to be very interesting to see the many different niches and animals that inhabit Kawainui Marsh and I look forward to telling you more about them.

Here are some pictures of Kawainui Marsh. You can see just how big it really is.



__**Assigned Journal**__ For my first journal assignment I have decided to write about the different niches I found in my habitat, Kawainui Marsh. I found about five different niches in my habitat so far and they are; trees, ponds, mud holes, grassland, and dead plant remains.

One of the first niches I found was the trees. There are many trees surrounding Kawainui Marsh and some scattered around in the center of it. The trees are mostly a niche for most birds and some insects. They provide shelter from the rain and also food, like seeds and flowers or insects that live within the trees, for the birds to eat and shelter for the insects that live inside the bark of the trees.

Another niche that I found in my habitat was the ponds that are scattered throughout Kwainui Marsh. These ponds are filled with brown water and little islands made of grass or dirt. These ponds are a niche for fish and ducks. It is basically the only niche the fish can survive in at the marsh and the islands provide nesting space for ducks and they can feed and clean in the water.

The third niche I found at the marsh was the mud holes. These holes are perfect niches for pigs and certain insects, like worms, that can burrow down into the dirt. Some insects might get stuck in the mud and be eaten by the other insects that live there or eaten by the pigs.

The fourth niche I observed in Kawainui Marsh was the grasslands. This is probably the niche with the most and widest variety or animals inhabiting it. I saw everything from a chicken to a cow inhabiting this niche. It is a great hunting ground and nesting place for chickens and other birds and also a great feeding ground for cows.

And the last niche I observed in my time there was the large amount of dead plant remains. Insects mostly inhabit this niche. Under the remains was soft dirt that insects burrowed into and made colonies underground. I sat on the ground and after a few minutes I was covered with ants, mosquitoes, and flies. This niche was also inhabited by birds picking through the remains searching for insects to eat.

Trees, ponds, mud holes, grasslands, and dead plant remains are only a few of the many deferent niches that I am yet to find in Kawainui Marsh.

Here are a few pictures of some of the niches I found in Kawainui Marsh.