Brett's Agroecology Blog #2

 Biodiversity within High Rock Nursery

    The only animals on High Rock Nursery farm are cows, honeybees, and the Penninger family dog. The plant species include trees, bushes, decorative flowers, strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, and a wide variety of vegetables. The biggest dimension of diversity is the genetic diversity because of how many different plant species are at the High Rock Nursery, they aren't just growing crops, they have fruit, vegetables, trees, bushes, and the decorative flowers. The next biggest dimension of diversity would be the abiotic factors that are involved. These include the local climate, the gravel and mulch that they sell on their property, the pond in their back field, and the air itself. The planned biodiversity includes the cows, and honeybees that they have on their farm, along with the nursery that introduces more plant species to be involved with the soil. The associated biodiversity would include deer or other wild animals that make their way into the farm and eat the plants. The best interaction that they have going on is with the honeybees that pollinate the flowers along with blackberries and blueberries, this is extremely mutualistic. The honeybees pollinate the plants and help them grow then the bees themselves turn back around and build their hives real big which then in turn makes a big honey batch for the farm to sell.