zjohannesson
2016-05-31_11-26-09
This photo, taken at the Brunswick Nature Walk in Leland NC, shows various different plant species with different niche requirements. The tall plants located at a greater water depth and occupying the top left of the photograph are Typha latifolia, commonly called cattails. Species of Typha are often the first plants to colonize wetland areas and out compete many other competitors due to the thick canopy they form. Different species of Typha are better adapted to different water depths. Closer in to the shore you can see a different leafy plant (I'm unsure of the species), which is able to out compete the cattails at this depth of water, excluding them to slightly deeper depths. On the shore (right side of the picture), you can see different tree species, the large trunk in the foreground being a longleaf pine. These have different niche requirements than the cattails and can only efficiently grow on the drier banks of the river.
2016-05-31_11-26-09
This photo, taken at the Brunswick Nature Walk in Leland NC, shows various different plant species with different niche requirements. The tall plants located at a greater water depth and occupying the top left of the photograph are Typha latifolia, commonly called cattails. Species of Typha are often the first plants to colonize wetland areas and out compete many other competitors due to the thick canopy they form. Different species of Typha are better adapted to different water depths. Closer in to the shore you can see a different leafy plant (I'm unsure of the species), which is able to out compete the cattails at this depth of water, excluding them to slightly deeper depths. On the shore (right side of the picture), you can see different tree species, the large trunk in the foreground being a longleaf pine. These have different niche requirements than the cattails and can only efficiently grow on the drier banks of the river.