Plant Ecology

The stability of slopes is correlated with the vegetation on that slope in regards to stability (Fan, Lai 2104). The root system of plants play a pivotal role in the stability of a slope, but does the slope also determine what vegetation is present and for how long? This idea my help determine if trees in different habitats tend to be different sizes. The steepness of a slope can create different habitats. The difference in these habitats can be related to the variance in the steepness of slopes. It is well known that generally the larger the radial measurement of a tree is the older that tree is. A series of small trees could indicate information about the mortality rate of that species. Mortality rates may depend on the slope steepness and elevation (Bigler, 2016). This notion can be related back to the variance in tree size and certain habitats. Steeper slopes have smaller trees due to higher mortality rates of larger trees.