I believe my hypothesis and study are touching on the ecological process of resource competition. I have discovered that many abiotic factors such as soil, water, sunlight, and nutrients play a large role in plant success. When having to compete for these resources specifically sunlight, it can completely change plant morphology, including how tall they grow, which is what I have chosen to study. Through research, I also learned of a condition called etiolation that can cause a pattern similar to what I am observing, where the shaded trees grow taller to gain better access to light. Perhaps this condition is responsible for what is occurring with my samples. Based on my findings the reasoning behind why the cherry trees in the shade are growing taller is that they are competing to gain access to one of their greatest needs which is sunlight, forcing them to put all their energy into height just like plants do during etiolation.
Keywords: plant morphology, resource competition, plant growth factors,
yes the theory is the same although the scale of application is usually a bit different
interesting application!