Part A:

2.) We plan to get rid of invasive species such as goosegrass, dandelions, and Johnsongrass
by physical force. We will need to rip up each of the weeds out of the ground by the roots in
order to ensure the plant is no longer a threat.
3.) Plant Palette
Cercis canadensis

(Eastern Redbud)
Spring
Summer

Fall

Winter

Morella cerifera (Southern

Wax Myrtle)

Baptista australis (Blue False

Indigo)

Monarda citriodora (Lemon Bee Balm)

Panicum virgarum (Switchgrass)

Liatris punctata (Dotted

Gayfeather)

Pavonia lasiopetala (Rock Rose)

4.) Plant Species Table

Scientific
Name:

Cercis
canadensis

Morella
cerfera

Monarda
citriodora

Baptisia
australis

Panicum
virgatum

Liatris
punctata

Pavonia
lasiopetala

Common
Name:

Eastern
Redbud

Wax Myrtle

Lemon Bee
Balm

Blue
False
Indigo

Switchgrass

Dotted
Gayfeather

Rock rose

Color(s):

Pink, Brown,
Green-yellow,
and
Blue-green

Green &
Bluish
white

Lavender,
Green,
White, &
Pink

Blue

Straw-gold &
Green

Pink &
Purple

Pink &
Yellow

General
Characteristics:

*Height
ranges from
20-30 ft
*Is a
deciduous,
often

multi-trunked
understory
tree with a
rounded
crown
* Is noted for
its stunning
pea-like
rose-purple
flowers

*Wax
myrtle can
reach 20 ft
*aromatic
leaves with
a piquant
fragrance
when
crushed.
*can be
evergreen
screening
shrub for
residential

*Height
ranges from
1-2 ft
*whorled
flower head
*Each whorl
in the
elongated
spike is
whitish or
lavender
*Stems
lined with
pairs of
lance
shaped
leaves.
*Attracts
butterflies &

*Height
ranges
from
3-4 ft
*upright
perennial
*features
lupine like
flowers in
erect
racemes,
atop
flower
spikes
extending
well
above a
foliage
mound of
clover
like, and a
trifoliate

*Height
ranges from
3-6ft
*an
important
component
of the
tallgrass
prairie
*Foliage
clump is
topped in
midsummer
by branched
flower
panicles
*Seeds are a
food source
for birds in
winter

*Height
ranges
from 1-2 ft
*punctata
means
dotted and
refers to
the
speckled
leaves
*A bushier
plant is
formed if it
is cut back
or mowed
during the
growing
season.
*Attracts
birds

*small shrub,
usually
woody at the
base only,
with stems
up to 4 feet
tall
*Leaves with
petioles
sometimes
are as long
as the blade
*Blade is up
to 2 1/2
inches long
*Flowers are
roughly 1 1/2
inches wide
with a yellow
column
*Attracts

landscapes

*It makes
berries that
can be
eaten
*Attracts
birds &
butterflies

hummingbirds

hummingbirds

Scientific
Name:

Cercis
canadensis

Morella
cerfera

Monarda
citriodora

Baptisia
australis

Panicum
virgatum

Liatris
punctata

Pavonia
lasiopetala

Reasons for
choosing
species:

*Fits in well
with the soil,
climate, and
the amount
of rain our
plot has/gets.
*Found in
Texas

*Attracts
the
species
we want
for our
plot
*fits in
with our
plots soil

*Attracts
the species
wanted for
our plot
*Pretty
*Found in
Texas

*fits in well
with the
soil,
climate, and
the amount
of rain our
plot
has/gets.
*Pretty

*Attracts
species
wanted for
our plot
*Found in
Texas
*Fits with
our soil

*Looks nice
with all of
the other
plants
chosen for
plot
*Attracts the
species
needed for
our plot

*Found in
Texas
*Pretty
*Attracts
hummingbirds
which is
wanted for our
plot
*Fits in well
with our soil
and climate

Appearance
of the plants
in each
season:

Flowers
mature to
brown in
summer.
Pods may
remain on
the tree into
winter. The
leaves turn
blue-green in
spring.
Leaves turn
pale yellow to
greenish
yellow in fall.

Its bloom
time is
during
March
and April
and the
bloom
color is
green.

The bloom
color is
white, pink,
and purple
and the
bloom time
is May,
June, and
July. During
bloom time,
if watered
the
horsemint
will
continue
flowering
through the
end of
summer
and even
into
September
and early
October.

It features
purple,
lupine-like
flowers and
bluish
green
leaves and
it blooms in
spring.
Flowers
give to
inflated
seed pods
which turns
them into
charcoal
black when
ripe.

Features
medium
green
leaves
which turn
yellow

Its bloom
time is
during
August,

Its bloom time

is during April,
May, June,
July, August,
September,
October, &
November and

(sometimes

with
orange
tints) in
autumn,
fading to
tan-beige
in winter.
Foliage
clump is
topped in
midsummer

with pink
tinged,
branched
flower
panicles.
Panicles
turn beige
as the
seeds
mature in
fall.

September,

and October
and the
color would
be purple
and pink.

the color is
pink and
yellow.

5.) Bubble Diagram

Part B: Increasing Animal Diversity

Since our plan is to add native plants to our plot, we can expect to attract native insects
and animals. These organisms will already be well-adapted to our plot since they are natives.
Most of the organisms that we are expecting to attract are pollinators due to our plan to
add a wide variety of flowers. The plants and animals attracted to the plants have a mutualistic
relationship. The pollinators transfer pollen from one plant to another. In exchange for helping
the plants, the pollinators receive pollen and nectar which are used for food. Some of these
pollinators will include bees and butterflies. The B
ombus pennsylvanicus, commonly referred to
as the American bumblebee, will live well on our plot. They prefer to build their nests low on the
ground or underground. Surrounding our plot is mostly grass. We noticed small dips in the
ground which may be suitable for the bumblebees nests. We will provide a wide variety of
flowers for the bees to pollinate. Most of our flowers require sunlight and since bees, too,
require heat in order to fly, our plot is suitable for the bees. In order for us to have a lot of
butterflies, we first need to provide host plants for the caterpillars. The Calycopis cecrops,
red-banded hairstreak, is found in the southern portion of the United States. One of the host
plants for this species is the wax myrtle. Female butterflies will lay their eggs on the undersides
of the wax myrtles leaves. The caterpillars, once ready, will feed on the leaves until they reach
the next stage of the life cycle. Adult hairstreaks feed on nectar from flowers. The combination

of the host plants and the nectar sources promise the success of the red-banded hairstreaks.
We need these pollinators since they are vital to our plots health. They will help with plant
reproduction and expand the gene pools, allowing both the plants and pollinators to become
even more adapted to our plot.
Opiliones, harvestmen, are well adapted to live almost everywhere. The only continent
that they do not live on is Antarctica. They prefer to live in shaded areas. With the help of trees,
shrubs, and rocks, we can expect to find harvestmen hiding underneath them. They are either
omnivores or scavengers. Our plants will attract other insects which in turn will be food for the
harvestmen. We may also attract unwanted pests; however, since the harvestmen have such a
wide range of a diet, they will help control the pest populations. Since these arachnids are very
adaptable, we do not need to add anything else to help them survive.
When we went birdwatching, we did not observe any birds on our plot. We hope that by
adding the plants, we will attract birds. For example, hummingbirds long mouths are designed
to fit into long tubular flowers. They need to eat very frequently due to their very high
metabolism. We dont need to add any other special additions to our plot as long as we provide
an adequate amount of plants that hummingbirds like. The Archilochus alexandri, black-chinned
hummingbird, is one of the most adaptable varieties of hummingbirds. It is often found in urban
areas with recently disturbed habitats or in more natural areas. It likes to perch itself in trees to
survey the territory. Our addition of trees will be helpful to the hummingbirds since they tend to
make a nest in trees. As long as we provide tall trees and neighboring shrubs, the black-chinned
hummingbird will live well on our plot.
Seeds are food sources for birds and mammals. For example, Cardinalis cardinalis,
northern cardinals eat mostly seeds and insects. Once the seeds are depleted, the birds will
look for another food sources This includes eating insects. Some of these insects are pests to
our garden. With the help of the birds, we will be able to control the small pest problem without
using any pesticides. It sits in shrubs and trees low to the ground. We will provide a large
amount of grass and twigs for the birds nests. Our addition of the dense foliage will help hide
and protect the birds from predators. For those reasons, northern cardinals will thrive on our
plot. Fox squirrels, Sciurus niger, save the seeds for winter. They will either build leaf nests or
tree dens for both shelter and their litters. Squirrels eat seeds, tree buds, and insects. Squirrels,
combined with birds, and spiders will help control any pest problems. All of the organisms that
we want to introduce to our plot will be well-suited for our plot after we add the desired plants to
our plot.

2.) To make sure our plot becomes as diverse as possible, our group decided that it would be
best to interpret each factor and their ability to attract species. Our primary method of obtaining
more biodiversity is the addition of plant life--specifically, new plants that can adapt well with our
plots conditions. These new plants can bring new species by providing food, shelter, and
natural attractions like color and nectar. Insects like butterflies and bees will be attracted to our
plot if we include plants that contain flowers rich in nectar. Birds would visit our plot if we gained

new insects and provide areas for which they can scavenge or live in. There is an endless
amount of possibilities for our plot to gain biodiversity as long as plants are included.
Another possible method our group can use is to restrict the use of pesticides. These
chemicals kill the insects that are harmful to cultivated plants and animals. However, multiple
types of birds and insects thrive on eating these pests. If we kill off these insects before hand,
then these birds and insects will have no reason to visit our plot, thus decreasing the
biodiversity.
Removing invasive species can also add to our biodiversity. Invasive species have a
tendency to take over and populate the area quickly. This overpopulation can in turn kill other
species around the area, decreasing biodiversity. If we want to add native species of plants, we
must first get rid of any invasive plant species we currently have. And if we want to attract new
insects and animals to our plot, we have to address the invasive species of red fire ants.
3.) Insects Table
Species Name
(Latin/
Common)

Bombus
pennsylvan
icus/
American
Bumblebee

Opiliones/Har
vestman

Archilochus
alexandri/
Black-chinned
hummingbird

Calycopis
cecrops/
red-banded
hairstreak

Cardinalis
cardinalis/
northern
cardinal

Sciurus niger/
fox squirrel

General
Characteristics

Once the
most
prevalent
bumblebee
in the
southern
United
States,
population
s of the
American
Bumblebee
have
decreased
significantl
y in recent
years. This
bumblebee
however is
incredibly
large, as
compared
to other
bumblebee
s. It has a

Harvestmen,
though they
look like
spiders,
are not
actually
spiders. Since
they are
arachnids
they have
two body
parts
and 8 legs.
Unlike
spiders,
harvestmen
appear to
only have one
body section.
Their body
length
averages to
5/16 of an
inch. But
when they

Although its
body poses
bland colors,
its beautiful
strip of purple
bordering its
chin makes it
an interesting
bird to
admire. These
hummingbird
s are
incredibly
diverse as
they can be
found
anywhere
from the
desert, to the
coasts.

This is one of
the most
common
hairstreaks in
the
southeastern
United
States. It
lives
primarily in
dry open
woods and
wooded
neighborhoo
ds. The
wingspread
of the adult
is 24 to 30
mm. The
under
surface of
the wings is
gray-brown
with a
postmedial

Perhaps the
most famous
bird for
birdwatchers,
Cardinals
dont migrate
and they
dont molt
into a dull
plumage.
They inhabit
areas such as
backyards,
parks,
woodlots,
and shrubby
forest edges.
They are
most known
for their red
color (males).

This squirrel
has a total
body length
of 45 to 70
cm (17.7 to
27.6 in), tail
length of 20
to 33 cm (7.9
to 13.0 in),
and they
range in
weight from
500 to 1,000
grams. The
males and
females have
no difference
in
appearance
or size based
on sex. They
also have
great
eyesight and
sense, to

Benefits of
attracting

dark color
pattern
and a long
malar
space.

stretch out
their legs,
harvestmen
can reach
over 6 inches.
Another
difference is
that
they do not
have silk or
venom
glands. While
spiders can
have up to 8
eyes,
harvestmen
only have 2.
Male and
female
harvestmen
differentiate.
Males are
usually
smaller,
shorter, and
more brightly
colored
compared to
females.

These
bumblebee
s are well
known for
being great
pollinators.
This job
will be
important
on our plot
as we are
planning
on adding
new
flowers to
attract
other

Harvestmen
are not pests
and are
actually very
helpful to
gardens. They
are both
carnivores
and
scavengers.
Part of their
diet includes
eating
common
pests to
gardens such
as aphids.

white line
edged with a
bright orange
to
red-orange
band. Each
hind wing
has two tails
(hairstreaks).

Similarly to
the American
bumblebee,
the
Black-chinned
hummingbird
has a great
ability to
pollinate.
They also
have the
benefit of
eating insects
which serves
two purposes:
controlling
insect

Besides
being an
attractive
insect, the
red-banded
hairstreak
pollinates. As
mentioned
before,
pollinators
will be crucial
on our plot
once we add
flowers.

which they
use to mark
territories.

Cardinals are
great for pest
control. Once
our plot is
made, new
insects will
begin to flood
in--some
good some
bad. The bad
ones are our
concern as
they can kill
our plants
and in turn
kill other
insects. The

The fox
squirrel eats
about
anything that
is available in
the area. This
can be
beneficial as
they provide
pest control
and can help
decomposers
by eating
scraps of
dead animals.
As an
omnivore,

pollinators
and to
create a
beautiful
display.

4.) Food Web

Since they are

scavengers,
they help rid
the
environment
of dead
organisms.
Scavengers
help break
down organic
material into
smaller
materials.
Once the
harvestmen
die,
decomposers
will eat the
harvestmen
and return
the organic
material back
into the
environment.

population
and eating
pest insects.

Northern
Cardinal will
be a great
tool to use as
a pest
control.

the Fox
squirrel can
also help with
populations
of both plants
and animals.