How does the Variety of plant species change between grassland and woodland?

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Biology Coursework


How does the Variety of plant species change between grassland and Woodland?

This investigation will focus on the variety of plant species. The purpose of this investigation will be to investigate the link between distribution of organisms and biotic/abiotic factors.

There are approximately 1,500 species of native wild plants (excluding mosses, lichens and algae) in the British Isles and Ireland. This includes shrubs, grasses, sedges, rushes, ferns, horsetails and flowers.

A native species is one which:

  • naturally grows in the wild and has not been planted or deliberately introduced by people
  • Has not been selectively bred or cultivated.

Non-native (introduced) species are also found in the countryside but I expect that most of the species I find will be native.

I expect that there will be different species of plants growing in the different areas, these might include; P. lanceolata is a frost tolerant, winter-green, rosette forming herb capable of flowering in its first year¹, Tussocks are a tuft of grass looking like a grass heap. Rushes: grasses which have hollow stems that look like pipes, with a white inner coating and Ferns plants that grow in either shaded or unshaded land.

Numerous factors exist that influence the distribution and abundance of plant populations in an ecosystem. Factors may be either abiotic, (physical characteristics of a habitat), or biotic, (caused by living organisms).

Differences in the environment allow species to survive over others in a habitat. The species best adapted are more likely to survive by out-competing others for vital resources. Interspecific competition is competition between different species for a particular resource in short supply and occurs when the niches of two species overlap². (The niche of an organism is its role in the ecosystem²).

There is a very great difference between the various types of grasslands. Not all grasslands are intensively farmed. Some grassland will be on poor marginal lands which are typically of low fertility. Non-intensive grasslands produce less of value in the way of a grass crop. There are many different types. Wet, heathy grasslands are known as pasture. Other areas which are used for livestock grazing include meadows, moorland, heathland and chalk grasslands³. 

Know the variety of plants in woodland and grassland is important especially to places like the Centre for Conservation Ecology and Environmental Change who have previously published research showing that in the south of England there has been a large biodiversity loss in certain woodlands due to environmental changes.

Hypothesis:

I believe that there will be a higher variety of plant species in the unmanaged woodland than managed grassland because.

Null Hypothesis- There will be no significant distinction in the variety of plant species in grassland and woodland areas.

Variables:

  • Independent variable- the areas being investigated i.e. grassland and Woodland.
  • Dependant variable- the variety of plant species.
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All other variables will need to be controlled or their effects minimised, in order to ensure that change of the dependent variable is predominantly caused only by change in the independent variable. A control is unsuitable for an ecological investigation however controlling the other variables should make the accuracy sufficient enough to draw a sound conclusion.

The climate will be fairly constant as all the results will be taken within a two-day period very little change will be caused by plants dying/growing. Factors which could change across the land include the pH and fertility, (organic matter and mineral content), of ...

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This is a well structured and well written report. 1. There needs to be a method in place to indicate where each of the sources has influenced this report. 2. The conclusion needs to explain the patterns that have been found. 3. The evaluation is well written. ****