Plant Competition

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Plant Competition
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Today we will

• Understand differences between intraspecific
  and interspecific competition
• Measure plant competition in Sanford Woodlot
• Apply our knowledge of correlations to
  understanding competition dynamics

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Competition

• Interspecific (between species)

• Intraspecific (within species)

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Competition

• Interspecific (between species)

• Intraspecific (within species)

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Competition

• Direct

• Indirect

• Effects of one species impact another species
  indirectly
• Apparent Competition
• Exploitative Competition

Animals physical combat Plants release of toxins
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Apparent Competition (Indirect)

• Abundance of one species increases likelihood of
  consumption of other species

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Exploitative Competition (Indirect)

• Individuals use same limiting resource (most
  common type of competition)

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Why is it important to understand competition
dynamics and outcomes?
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What are the trade-offs between conducting
controlled, manipulative experiments and
observational studies?
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Todays Activity Measuring Competition

• Read over page 65

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Todays Activity Measuring Competition

• We will measure
• Intraspecific competition in beech trees
• Interspecific competition between beech trees and
  other trees (collectively)

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Todays Activity Measuring Competition

• Methods What will you do?
• Along transect, find focal beech tree, measure
  DBH
• From that tree measure DBH of nearest beech and
  nearest other tree
• Continue at every 6 meters (6 focal trees total)

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Todays Activity Measuring Competition

• Each team needs
• One 30-meter tape
• Coursepack
• Writing utensils

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Data Analysis Results

• Calculate mean, standard deviation, and
  correlation coefficient using Excel sheet (ANGEL)
• Graph results
• Answer questions on page 66
• Class discussion of results
• Quiz