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Post 7. Theoretical Perspectives.
I am comparing vegetation growth between dead wood (nurse logs) and the ground. I believe plants growth does better on the wood than on the ground. As for “why”, that probably varies from log to log. All the logs have the advantage of providing nutrients and holding moisture. In some places people walk on the ground but not on the log, so only plants on the ground are trampled. Animals such as deer may come along and forage on the plants at their level on the ground but are not able to reach plants on tall stumps. Some areas have plants that may shade out new plants attempting to germinate. Seeds that land on the stumps and logs are above the level of these competitors. In one spot there was a steep slope that nothing was growing on, except plants on a stump sticking out of the side of this hill.
Keywords: nurse logs, stumps, new plant growth
