User: | Open Learning Faculty Member:
The idea behind my research is that density/crowding of trees has a significant effect on new tree growth (annual budding) in addition to the overall biomass accumulated over years of growth. Each individual tree was planted the same year and are the same age. Also, they are all planted within the same acre with the same soil conditions. The only difference in their growing conditions is the distance that they were planted from one another, creating the crowding gradient. Soil and weather conditions and species interactions are all constant. The different levels of crowding between locations will theoretically create some variations in the soil nutrients and water available to each individual. Although I will not be testing those factors directly, I will be observing the subsequent results of their effects in the form of overall growth and biomass. Resource competition influencing growing capacity is the main underlying idea in my research. It should be stronger in the most crowded site (Location 1) compared to the least crowded site (Location 3) since there are more individuals competing for the same amount of resources.
Keywords: resource competition, density dependence, individual tree growth
