English Ivy : An Effect On The Growth Of Moss On Trees

DBH and canopy coverage are two methods of measurement commonly used by ecologists to study an environment. Being able to analyze these two technique’s results can is vital in determining what environment is the best fit for a given tree species. For example, a tree that receives greater canopy coverage will interact with the environment in a different way than a tree that has no canopy coverage would. Trees that have bigger DBH sizes are more likely to live in nutrient rich areas in contrast with trees that are smaller in DBH size (Saremi et al. 2009). Likewise, further relationships are yet to be studied between different abiotic factors and the relationship between tree DBH and canopy coverage opens up new questions to

Each study site is 1 km by 0.5 km in area. Three rodent trapping webs and four replicate experimental blocks of plots are randomly located at each study site to measure vegetation responses to the exclusion of small mammals. Each block of plots is 96 meters on each side. Each block of plots consists of 4 experimental study plots, each occupying 1/4 of each block. The blocks of study plots are all oriented on a site in an X/Y coordinate system, with the top to the north. Treatments within each block include one unfenced control plot (Treatment C), one plot fenced with hardware cloth and poultry wire to exclude rodents and rabbits (Treatment R). The two treatments were randomly assigned to each of the four possible plots in each block independently, and their arrangements differ from block to block. Each of the plots in a replicate block are separated by 20 meters. Each experimental measurement plot measures 36 meters by 36 meters. A grid of 36 sampling points is positioned at 5.8-meter intervals on a systematically located 6 by 6 point grid within each plot. A permanent one-meter by one-meter vegetation measurement quadrat is located at each of the 36 points. A 3-meter wide buffer area is situated between the grid of 36 points and the perimeter of each plot. The foliage canopy area and maximum height of each plant species is measured from each quadrat. All cover values are measured from the vegetation measurement frame, which is 1 meter by 1 meter, and partitioned into a grid of 100, 10 cm by 10 cm squares. Cover is measured by counting the number of

Plants are found everywhere on earth, up high on the ridge and down low in caves and caverns. The types of plants that live in these places depends on many factors. These factors are separated into two different categories, the biotic factors and the abiotic factors. Some of the biotic factors include, predation, competition, and habitat destruction. Plants with limited competition and large amounts of resources will be in a higher abundance than plants with limited resources and higher competition rates will be confined to areas and either out competed or will be the dominant species. Certain plants adapt to these factors and thrive and others don’t do as well. Some of the abiotic factors include, sunlight, water, temperature, and wind. These

When going to the sand dunes of the Illinois Beach State Park, we wanted to test the effects of different environment on succession, ecosystem development. The problem was to find out if there is a succession (ecosystem development) of plant communities taking place. If the sand dune’s closer to the lake are newer than those further inland, then, I believe succession will take place because the newest dunes do not have rich enough soil to support more complex plants like trees and shrubs growing in the areas that have already gone through later stage succession. The data supported our hypothesis.

The purpose of this experiment is to observe secondary succession at Umass Dartmouth and test the prediction that diversity increases through ecological succession. Students went outside to the lawn underneath the wind mill on campus. 3 transect sites were located by the instructor. Students predicted the species and percent cover of each species on each trail site. Bar charts were made to compare the number of species in each transect. Pi-charts were made to compare the percent coverage of species in each transect.

Ferns grow quickly and rob the ground underneath of sunlight, water, and minerals. They also secrete chemicals which prevent hardwood seedlings from growing.

Competition happens between two or more things. In talking about plants they compete with each to survive. When competing against each other to survive they are using soil, water, nitrogen, and space. In using theses resources and having theses available gives the plant a greater chance in living. Even though plants compete environmental wise it is still scene that there is a lot of unknown to why plants compete. Some researchers believe it could be because of the root size of an individual plant or the size of the seed, which gives it better competition in surviving (Miller, 1995). Different types of competition can happen between plants likes intraspecific and interspecific competition. Miller (1995) believes there is not enough research shown to make a determination as to why competition between plants happens and that there should be research done in looking at the evolution of plants in different environments where they can compete with each other. In looking at competition in plants in class the experiment that we conducted looks at the Brassica rapa in a intraspecific competition in different densities. Miller (1995) found that the B. rapa in intraspecific competition did have increase in the number of flowers that were produced. Comparing this to the finding of Miller, when looking at different densities of plants in a interspecific competition could the B. rapa have more of a change in growth because a higher density will have more seeds and the B.

There are many factors that account for the changes to the vegetation over time within ecosystems in the British Isles, such as human activity, climate, soil, light availability and intensity and natural disasters. The characteristics of the vegetation that are influenced by these factors are height, distribution, variety of species, adaptations and density of the vegetation. Some of these factors have relatively little influence on the succession development, whereas others have a dramatic influence over a long period of time, such as human activity. These factors, over time, result in the progression of a succession until the climatic climax vegetation is reached. However, sometimes these factors can mean that a plagioclimax is reached,

“Many plant species have been affected by this, due to deer only eating specific species of plants, some have become overpopulated due to the fact that they are not being controlled by the wildlife in the woods.”

Since organisms living in communities form interdependent relationships, a change in the abundance of one species will not only affect the physical and more direct interactions, but could indirectly affect the number of other species within the community as a consequence (Wootton 1993). These indirect affects rise because the interactions between pairs of species are not independent of other species, such as increasing the density of vegetation may increase the survival rate of the prey, reducing the intensity of the interaction between the predator and prey (Wootton 1993, 1994). An

Second, the reading states that park wildlife was affected as well. In contrast, the professor in the lecture averts that the small plants that grow create ideal

University Press, Cambridge, United Kingdom. E J H Corner, 2002. The Life of Plants. University of Chicago Press,

The reading claims that the numbers of the yellow cedar in America have been decreased since 1880. However, the lecturer finds all ideas dubious and presents some evidence to refute them all.

They discuss the variety of sources used to collect data and where they gathered data from in both Non-agricultural habitats and Agricultural habitats. They then present the following: “ Estimates of the amount of milkweed in non-agricultural habitats, agricultural fields and total milkweeds in Iowa from 1999 to 2010,” (10) as a table. They then point out their sources for the data they used on land use. They acknowledge that their land use data were published in 2006 and is therefore somewhat out of date, however, they anticipate that the numbers were still similar when they published their paper. Next, they estimate the monarch use of non-agricultural milkweed and provide data on the “monarch use of milkweeds in agricultural fields,” (10). Their data points to the conclusion that monarchs use agricultural milkweed at a greater frequency than non-agricultural milkweed. In the final subsection of the methods section Pleasants and Oberhausen estimate the potential monarch

Our lab investigated the morphological characteristics of leaves found in the sun and shade on various species of maple and oak trees around campus. Our null hypothesis was Acer and Quercus acclimate similarly with regards to SLW (specific leaf weight), size, and sinuosity. Our hypothesis was Quercus acclimation is greater than Acer SLW, size, and sinuosity. We tested these hypotheses by picking small sections of a branches from both maple and oak trees. A group was assigned either a maple or an oak tree, and needed a total of three different trees per group. Once three different trees were chosen, groups needed three shade leaves and three sun leaves of off each different tree. In total, each group should then end up with 18 leaves for testing. After collecting the leaves, we ran them through the LiCor 3100 leaf area meter to identify the area of each leaf. Major results found by the classes’ mutual data was each one of our p-values were greater than .05. This means that we failed to reject the null hypothesis. Thus, the lab results do not support our hypothesis that Quercus acclimation is greater than Acer SLW, size, and sinuosity.