My study looks at the relationship between the amount of direct sunlight and the number of flowers produced by the shrub Grewia occidentalis (Crossberry). The ecological process that my hypothesis predominately relates to is energy flow. The idea being that G. occidentalis, will favour either vegetative growth or reproductive growth depending on the amount of energy available from the sun. In my early observations, I noted that the plants receiving more direct sunlight had a lot of flowers, whereas those that were in shadier areas were much taller but had fewer flowers. This suggests that reproductive growth is more energy intensive than vegetative growth and the plant will redirect much of its resources into making flowers when the necessary energy is available. Critical concepts in this study include shade and sun tolerance.
Ecological implications of this study could come from a conservation perspective. G. occidentalis is a non-native species to the region (California). It is used as an ornamental shrub in urban areas, is not considered invasive, is drought tolerant, it’s long flowering season (spring-fall) can be helpful for the honey bee population and overall, it is ideal in urban environments for aesthetics in green spaces. However, it raises the question of the impact on native plants and whether it detracts the bee population from pollinating native plants as a preferred source of nectar. In peak flowering season with optimal sunlight, G. occidentalis produces an abundance of flowers. I observed that the honey bees seem to exclusively prefer it over the abundant rose bushes located a few feet away. If it is planted in shadier environments where it is less likely to produce a lot of flowers, it could mitigate this potential source of disturbance to native plants while still retaining it as a valuable greenspace enhancer in urban environments.
Key words
- Flower production
- Sun exposure gradient
- Urban green spaces
A great start start on the theoretical perspectives for your introduction!