Investigating the Effects of Shade From Trees on Plants Below
Introduction
A collection of living things together at the same place and time is
called a Habitat. The main purpose of a habitat is to provide and
adequate food supply, a comfortable place to breeding/reproduction to
take place and to provide a certain degree of shelter. Examples of
various habitats are:
ü Forests and woodland/ trees
ü Bushes and shrubs
ü Ponds/ lakes
ü Sand dunes
ü Grassland
ü Rocky shores
ü Mossy brick walls
Apart from where the habitat is situated, there are also 5 other key
factors that affect the living things in a habitat. These are:
1. Climate: which includes variation in Temperature, the amount of
rainfall, the light intensity and wind variation.
2. Biotic: Interaction of living things e.g. food chains/ webs
3. Humans: pollution and insecticides are used which effect the
environment.
4. Soil: Variations in soil type lead to certain living things having
to live in certain areas
5. Shape of the land and aspect: certain areas of land would not be
suitable for all living things because of various obstacles.
A woodland habitat
[IMAGE] [IMAGE]
Within a woodland habitat the main dominating organisms are the trees.
The reason for their domination apart from the fact that they are
usually larger than most other wildlife is due to the fact that trees
have large canopies of branches and leaves. The canopies are situated
at the top of the trees therefore casting a shade on all that grows
below it.
Woods are described as Strasfied; this is because woodland areas are
in layers and block out most of the light.
Layer
Description
Canopy layer
Ash, Oak, Elm, Cherry, Sycamore
Shrub Layer
Small trees growing under the canopy layer e.g. Hawthorn, Blackthorn,
Holly, Blackberry.
Herb Layer
Smaller, non-woody plants growing under the two layers above e.g.
Grass, Dogs mercury, Ground Ivy, Ivy, Honey Suckle, Goose Grass.
An adaptation is the characteristic of an organism that makes it likely to survive. There are three types of adaptations: structural, physiological, and behavioural. Structural adaptations are physical features, physiological adaptations are related to the internal body functions, while behavioural adaptations refer to how organisms respond to stimuli (Beavis 2014). This paper will discuss some adaptations that help koalas and eucalyptus trees survive in their environments.
stems of Ivy, one from the part of the garden that is exposed to lots
These leaves will also have no threat of excessive transpiration because the temperature in the shaded area will be lower and the humidity probably higher. Transpiration is the removal (evaporation) of water from a plant through the stomata in the leaves; this water is removed in a cycle due to the active uptake from the roots. Transpiration involves osmosis; which is the diffusion of water from a high concentration to a lower concentration through a partially permeable membrane, until both the concentrations are equally saturated. All these factors i.e. transpiration and photosynthesis, come together to confirm my hypothesis. To support my hypothesis further, I did a pilot study in a meadow in which I studied the population of certain plant species in areas of
How does the vegetation surface type affect the amount of runoff? Speculate why this happens.
The Japanese maple trees were subjects for much poetry and art in seventh century Japan. However, both world wars took their toll on the many different collections of these trees, and they were often used as firewood. By the end of the 1940s, many cultivars had disappeared. However, in the 1960s there was a return of interest and since then over 320 varieties of the Japanese maple have been developed from the native trees that were left.
The Redwood National forest in California is home to some of the tallest trees in the world. People from all over travel to see the beauty of these hundred year old redwood trees. These trees The park was established in 1968 and is a national and state park. Since the park has been established there has been around a 100,000 increase in tourists each year. The park consists of 131,983 acres of earthquake prone land in the northern part of California, just below the. The climate of the Redwood National forest varies from mild with high humidity and even temperatures, this climate is perfect for the redwood trees, to the more harsh, windy climates near the ocean. The biome is mainly temperate coniferous forest with mixes of redwood and evergreen
Trees, some of them a few thousand years old, have majestically stood on the face of the earth and have silently witnessed the evolution of human civilization. These trees are the living alibis of our pasts, magnificent markers of history. With their unusual shapes, enchanting legends and historical significance, some of these trees have become more than just giant trunks. Listing below ten such trees whose wooden hearts have amazing stories to tell!
How Light Affects the Stomatal Opening in a Leaf Abstract = == == ==
One of the most predominate ecosystems is the forest community. Covering about one-fourth of the land area on Earth, forests consist mainly of trees and other woody vegetation, growing closely together. The trees can be large and densely packed, as they are in the coastal forests of the Pacific Northwest, or they can be relatively small and sparsely scattered, as they are in the dry tropical forests of sub-Saharan Africa. Forests are complex ecosystems that also include “soils and decaying organic matter, fungi and bacteria, herbs and shrubs, vines and lichens, ferns and mosses, insects and spiders, reptiles and amphibians, birds and mammals, and many other organisms” (Audesirk, 2003). All of these components constitute an intricate web with many biological interconnections. A bird may depend on the upper branches of a tree for nesting, while the tree may depend on the fungi surrounding its roots to obtain water and nutrients. A forest performs a number of vital environmental services, such as cleansing the air, moderating the climate, filtering water, cycling nutrients, providing a habitat for animals and provides humans with recreation and beautiful scenery. Resources from the forest supply raw materials, such as lumber, paper products, greenery and pharmaceuticals. Some of the developing issues today concerning forests are fires and what we as a society can do to restore the natural ecosystems within the forests around our world. Many aspects are to be considered when looking at the ecology and bioremediation of forests such as, human activities, wildlife, endangerment and environmental changes. This paper will discuss the effect wildfires have on the forest ecosystem.
The plants that we know today as terrestrial organisms were not always on land. The land plants of today can be linked back to aquatic organisms that existed millions of years ago. In fact, early fossil evidence shows that the earliest land plants could have arisen some 450 million years ago (Weng & Chappie 2010). Plants that used to reside strictly in water were able to adapt in ways that allowed them to move onto land. It is speculated the need for plants to move onto land was created by water drying up, causing plants to have less room and pushing them to move onto land. Although the exact cause of plant’s need to move to a terrestrial environment is unclear, it is known that plants had to undergo several adaptations to be able to live on land. These adaptations include: lignin, cellulose, suberin, and changes to plant’s surface, including the formation of a waxy cuticle.
Tariq Ali uniquely puts into perspective the horrific tragedies behind the Spanish reconquest in his work, Shadows of the Pomegranate Tree, by capturing the history in the perspective of a Muslim family who lived in a village just outside of recently conquered Granada. He does this in order to expose the cruelty and intolerance of the Archbishop Xemenes de Cineros. Ali also uncovers the faults in not only Christianity, but also in Islamic ideology by having many character’s from the family Banu Hudayl debating and questioning Islamic beliefs which may parallel with the author’s own beliefs, or lack thereof. (Tariq) One of Ali’s strongest focuses however, was to expose the lack of urgency many Muslims felt after the fall of Granada. Many Muslim’s
in a habitat, changes in climate, the development or destruction of a mountain range, river
Thesis: Forests provide the earth with a regulated climate, strong biodiversity, and good nutrient rich soil for plants to strive on.
II.Main Point: Trees play an important role in the life of birds and animals.It is natural that wherever trees are planted, wildlife and other plants are sure to follow.
The branch of science that deals with how living things, including humans, are related to their surroundings is called ecology . The Earth supports some 5 million species of plants, animals, and microorganisms. These interact and influence their surroundings, forming a vast network of interrelated environmental systems called ecosystems. The arctic tundra is an ecosystem and so is a Brazilian rain forest. The islands of Hawaii are a relatively isolated ecosystem. If left undisturbed, natural environmental systems tend to achieve balance or stability among the various species of plants and animals. Complex ecosystems are able to compensate for changes caused by weather or intrusions from migrating animals and are therefore usually said to be more stable than simple ecosystems. A field of corn has only one dominant species, the corn plant, and is a very simple ecosystem. It is easily destroyed by drought, insects, disease, or overuse. A forest may remain relatively unchanged by weather that would destroy a nearby field of corn, because the forest is characterized by greater diversity of plants and animals. Its complexity gives it stability.