Tag Archive | Ecology
Arthropod Biodiversity Related to Plant Biodiversity in the Morgan Arboretum
INTRODUCTION Biodiversity is the measure of variation within living organisms at a population, community and ecosystem level. Biodiversity in a given area can be measured by calculating species richness, the number of different species within a given area, and species relative abundance, the evenness of individuals within a community. As the largest phylum in the […]
The Relationship Between Beech Tree Size and Beech Drop Density
Fagus grandifolia, the Beech tree, is a mesophytic species indigenous to the East Coast of North America. It is found primarily in podsol, a soil with an acidic composition due to its sandy nature, fast drainage and minimal decomposition. Beech trees develop root sprouts or suckers when the trunk is less than 10 cm in […]
Abundance of Poison Ivy Relative to Overstory Tree Species Diversity
Introduction to Poison Ivy Poison ivy, Toxicodendron radicans, is infamous for causing painfully itchy dermatitis (Barrat 2016). The rash is caused by urushiol, a plant compound secreted as oil by all members of the Toxicodendron genus which includes poison sumac, poison oak, and poison ivy (Carlos et al. 2003). Poison ivy has ranked among the […]
The Abundance of Bryophytes on Logs Versus Coniferous and Deciduous Trees in the Morgan Arboretum
A small green carpet of moss that covers numerous natural surfaces worldwide can often be overlooked as insignificant. However, moss, along with liverworts and hornworts, collectively named bryophytes, are more complex than they appear (Porley 2013). Bryophytes are the second most diverse plant group, behind flowering plants, with over 16,000 species identified throughout the world […]
The Effect of Aboveground Vegetation on Earthworm Population Density
Background Information on Earthworm Density in Different Vegetation Earthworms are invertebrates that greatly impact the quality of the soil (Xu, Johnson-Maynard & Prather, 2003). They benefit soil structure, breakdown organic matter, and cycle nutrients which is essential to good soil health (Xu et al., 2003). Worms aerate the soil and create ample pore space to […]
The St. Lawrence Lowlands 