SURIGAO STATE COLLEGE OF TECHNOLOGY

Surigao City, Main Campus

GS211 – ADVANCED FIELD ECOLOGY
Professor: DR. MAURICIO S. ADLAON

Name: Ms. WENDIE B. ESCANER Date: January 20, 2018

Course: MAEd- Gen. Science Score:

BIOTIC AND ABIOTIC INTERACTIONS IN THE RICE FIELD

INTRODUCTION

The Gaia hypothesis developed by Professor Lovelock states that the Earth is like a
single giant organism composed of physical
environments and the living organisms within. The
water in the rivers and oceans transports supplies
and materials to any point where they are needed
and wash away the wastes just like blood. Forests
and grasslands are sweating to keep us cool just like
the skin. Just like a thread, Lovelock emphasized
that interactions in one part may have implications in
another part. Caring a single part may care all the
parts; likewise destroying a single part may destroy
all the parts.

The Earth contains different types of

ecosystems that made up of living (biotic) and non –
living (abiotic) organisms interacting with each other.
Non – living things in the ecosystem such as light intensity, temperature, soil and water
determines what kind of living organisms can survive in the
ecosystem. Bascompte (2009) stated that biotic and abiotic
factors are elements embedded in complex networks of
interactions. Despite such complexity, several studies have
shown universal patterns in the way species interact across
different ecosystem types. For example, interaction networks are
very heterogeneous—some species have a much larger number
of interactions than expected by chance—and most interactions,
among predators and their prey, for instance, tend to be weak.
These patterns determine the stability of ecosystem to recover
from perturbations, and the likely consequences of local species
extinctions within the interaction network according to Walther
(2010).

A moth seeking shelter in the

leaves of rice.
 One type of an ecosystem is a rice
field. Rice fields are more vulnerable to
environmental stress and pest attack due to
the production of a single type of crop
(Shennan, 2008). Tropical rice fields are
usually inhabited by a diverse fauna of aquatic
organisms. Some flying adults of Hemiptera
(aquatic bugs), Coleoptera (beetles), and
Odonata (dragonflies and damselflies) fly into
the area and colonize the rice fields (Leitao et
al. 2007); while other species spend their
larval phase in the moist mud, growing rapidly
in the aquatic medium and emerging as adults
(Leitao et al. 2007; Pires et al. 2015). Rice
cultivation activities within a short rice growing
season regulate the abundance and diversity of
Small fishes inhabiting the side of the rice field
these organisms (Hayasaka et al. 2012), and
therefore, rice fields are colonized by organisms
with short life cycles that are well adapted to the
temporary nature of the rice field habitat. The
recognition that ecosystems provide humans with
goods and services that are vital for our survival and
well-being has led to substantial concern over how
such ecosystem services may be affected by both
biotic and abiotic activities (IPCC 2007). This paper
aimed to investigate the interactions occurs in the
rice field area of New Nazareth, Basilisa, Dinagat
Islands.

MATERIALS AND METHODS Snail inhabiting the side of the rice field

The study was conducted on a rainy morning of January 16, 2017. The rice fields
overflowed with water. The grasses are wet and the current of the river near the fields was
flowing vigorously. The interactions of different biotic and abiotic factors were documented,
identified and recorded. Ph meter was used to measure the acidity and basicity of the water.

RESULTS

Several interactions observed in the rice field area. The tables below show the different
interactions of biotic and abiotic components in the rice field.

Table 1. The interactions of biotic components in the ecosystem

Mutualism Commensalism Predation Parasitism Competition

Rice and bees Rice and moth Heron and bugs Rice and worm Rice and aquatic
plants

Rice and Rice and maya Rice and golden Maya and bugs
dragonfly bird snail

Rice and ant Frog and insect Bird and Worm

The table above shows how biotic components interact

with each other through mutualism, commensalism, predation,
parasitism and competition. Mutualism shows the least
number of interactions. Commensalism, predation and
competition shows greater number of interacting organisms
compared to others.

Abiotic components found in the rice field area include

soil, water, mud, rocks, sunlight, and Ph. The water has a Ph
closer to 8. Sunlight is abundant in the area. It has a
temperature of 28 degrees Celsius. An organism locally called
‘ibid’ is abundant in the area.

DISCUSSION

The pH of the water play a significant role in the

The pH of the water taken at the existence of organisms in the rice field. Since the field is
center part of the rice field surrounded with trees and water, a water lizard, locally called
‘ibid' is abundant in the area.

Abiotic factors found in the rice field can

determine the conditions in environment. These
environmental conditions can affect the types of
organisms that survived in that field. Each
species has a tolerance range for a particular
abiotic factor. Abiotic factors within the rice field
habitat can influence not only the types of
organisms located in them, but also where they
are found within the habitat and how many there
are.
Hydrosauros pustulatos, locally called ‘ibid’ resting
REFERENCES in the rocky part of the rice field beside the water
canal.
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