EcoPhoto 2

This is a picture of a few mature longleaf pine trees on the UNCW campus. When I saw this it made me think of the abiotic resources that all plant species, in particular the longleaf pine, have to compete for. They are sedentary (non-moving) organisms so they need to have unique adaptations in order to succeed. Sunlight, water, and nutrients must all be obtained to grow and ensure reproduction. Longleaf pine trees are shade intolerant and require sunlight to grow. This means that they cannot form a closed canopy or else the seeds and juvenile trees will not be able to harness any sunlight and grow. Their intraspecific competition for sunlight limits their population growth and their dispersion patterns. Longleaf pine trees also compete with each other to ensure their survival through a burning. They stay in a grass stage to protect them from the fire and when the root system is strong enough they shoot out of the ground and have a critical timeframe to compete for resources with other adolescent longleaf pines to grow to safe heights.

 

Source: www.nwf.org/Wildlife/Wildlife-Library/Plants/Longleaf-Pin...

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