My research project examines the effects of substrate types on plant biodiversity. This hinges on the concept of competition for resources. My study explores the balance between natural ecological processes and human impacts on these ecosystems. My study area is a municipal park; the low diversity of plants and factors such as anthropogenic disturbance (people and pet foot traffic off trails) and recreational use will likely yield particular results to this environment. My research is based on the idea that environmental conditions change gradually over space, affecting which plants can grow. I hypothesize that shallow soils have the lowest species biodiversity.
Keywords
Species richness, substrate types, Garry oak ecosystems, plant distribution, ecological processes.