Summarising the differences between deciduous and coniferous woodland.

The first 200 words of this essay...

Ecology Report: Summarising the differences between deciduous and coniferous woodland.

This report will attempt to explain some differences in energy flow and nutrient cycles between two types of woodland: deciduous and coniferous, using secondary data, and primary data collected during fieldwork. I predict that a greater amount of energy passes through a deciduous woodland ecosystem than a coniferous one. I think that as leaves fall from deciduous trees, primary consumers use them to create energy. At these times the canopy disappears and more sunlight reaches lower levels, also creating more energy. These factors mean more all-round energy, more animals and a more 'alive' ecosystem. The world's coniferous woodlands are generally in colder areas that receive less sunlight, and the permanent canopy prevents sunlight from reaching lower levels.

The fieldwork site, Constitution Hill Viewpoint, is set on a hill in a residential area in Poole. It is mixed woodland, containing small areas of deciduous and coniferous woodland. Conifers at the site are mainly Scots Pine, whilst Oak is the dominant broad-leaved deciduous tree. Being mixed woodland, our samples might not show clearly contrasting results because of an overlap of the woodland, but samples were taken from as clearly defined areas