Light Availability Analysis of 24 Southwest Michigan Wetlands
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Authors
Sirotek, Alexander R.
Issue Date
2005
Type
Thesis
Language
en_US
Keywords
Alternative Title
Abstract
Wetland plant distribution is commonly thought to be determined by multiple
limiting gradients, particularly pH and nutrient availability. However, Thobaben (2004)
found that variation in southwest Michigan wetland plant communities was most highly
correlated with pH and shade. To measure shade Thobaben used an estimate of canopy cover based on percent cover values and potential plant height. In this study, fisheye photography and digital analysis were used to provide a more accurate measure of light availability. This measure (percent light blocked) was not as highly correlated with the variance in plant community structure as Thobaben' s measure, but reaffirmed that shade was the second most important factor in describing variation in these wetland communities.
Description
v, 37 p.
Citation
Publisher
Kalamazoo College
License
U.S. copyright laws protect this material. Commercial use or distribution of this material is not permitted without prior written permission of the copyright holder.