Ecology field test suggestions?
September 5th, 2010 | 
Author: What are some good hypotheses to test concerning plants in a riparian woodland habitat? Area is Northern Ca. Sacramento valley, Sacramento & American rivers.
Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Posted in Green Q&A | 
Tags: american rivers, amp, habitat area, hypotheses, plants, riparian woodland, sacramento valley, woodland habitat
Biology is such a complex field. I would positively identify plant species that are moisture-loving, as well as those that tend to thrive in an area where river sediment deposition is the norm and see if any populations grow outside of that particular enviroment to any prolific degree. If you are in a wooded area near a stream, move upward in elevation, if possible, to see if the same species exist in an enviroment, such as sloped ground where erosion is more apparent. Plants with not such a deep root system (because the moisture in the soil is abundant) are not likely to thrive on a slope where moisture retention would tend to be a problem.