ECEC - 2 Flashcards
what percentage of the UK is woodland?
12%
what are the 3 main types of stem-natural woodland?
1) native
2) ancient
3) recent
what percentage of UK woodlands are native and what do they consist of?
40%
- consist of native trees that have grown in the UK since the ice age
what defines an ancient woodland?
woodland consistently wooded since 1600 AD
what defines recent woodland?
- planted or established naturally
whats the difference between primary and secondary woodland?
primary - survived continually since the ice age
secondary - planted or established since last ice age
what are 2 reasons communities occur?
1) environmental factors
2) community processes
what is the definition of structure and its 3 components
the spatial organisation of plant material within a community
1) vertical structure (stratification)
2) horizontal structure (pattern)
3) species abundance
what are the 4 layers of a woodlands vertical structure?
1) ground layer
2) field layer (tall herbs and undershrubs) + ( layer of low herbs)
3) shrub layer
4) tree layer
what are the 3 main types of horizontal structure?
1) regular
2) random
3) clumped
what are the 4 things that determine a pattern shown by a species?
1) morphology and growth characteristics
2) seed dispersal mechanisms
3) environmental heterogeneity
4) species interactions
what are 4 ways species abundance can be measured?
1) guesstimates DAFOR: Dominant, Abundant, Frequent, Occasional, Rare
2) density - number of individuals per unit area
3) frequency - Chance of finding a particular species in a sample of vegetation
4) cover - expressed as a percentage - can be over 100% if vegetation overlaps
what are the 2 main approaches to survival on the forest floor?
1) shade tolerance
2) complementation - growing when the light intensity is relatively high
what is a way shade tolerance plants are adapted to survival
- often have large, thin leaves
- leaves with a single palisade layer
- large surface area to weight ratio
- they respire more slowly
what is complementation and examples of 2 species?
when woodland floor plants grow before the main development of tree canopy with early growth and flowering
examples: 1) wood anemone 2) dogs mercury
what is phenology?
the study of the seasonal periodicity and timing of plant growth
what are the 4 classifications for time of year plants grow in?
1) vernal = spring
2) Aestival = summer
3) Autumnal = autumn
4) hiemal = winter
what is the difference between brown forest soil and podzol soil?
- Podzol soil is more acidic
- brown forest soil is actively mixed by organisms
- podzol soil has sharp boundaries between layers and isn’t mixed
how many species of native trees and shrubs does the UK have?
50
what are examples of community processes?
- competitive exclusion
– co-existence through tolerance
– co-existence through complementation
– dependence
what is the definition of species abundance and what is it useful for?
- the amount a species contributes to the vegetation
Important in vegetation descriptions, naming and classifying communities
when is morphological plasticity of shading most likely to occur?
- more typically of plants of little-shaded conditions
- Less so for species in consistently in deep shade
describe the leaves of Deschampsia flexuosa, (grass)?
- doesnt have the leaves of normal plants which grow in shaded environments
- has narrow, bristle-like leaves
- tolerates “temporary shade” because
evergreen
what does ever green mean?
plants which keep their green leaves all year round
