ECO PHOTO 1

In this photo, there are many ecological principles at play but I will only shed light on a few. First, in this photo there are two primary species I will focus on and they are the Tillandsia usneoide (common name Spanish Moss) and what I believe to be the Quercus virginiania (Southern Live Oak). I found these two species in Downtown Wilmington, on Market street. In this photo, it is important to know that this tree is located in a very humid climate, in which provides an essential ecological niche for both tree and angiosperm (the Spanish moss is commonly misperceived to be a moss, but it is indeed an angiosperm). The Spanish moss is an epiphyte which means it acquires its nutrients and water supply mainly through the air, which is why a humid climate is essential to it's survival. They also acquire many nutrients from their "friends", as the Southern live oak is rich in their rates of foliar mineral leaching. This means that the Southern live oak provides an abundant supply of nutrients that are essential to the Spanish moss. This is why you can always find the Spanish moss living with the Southern live oak. Many people believe that the "moss" harms the trees but I will lay that myth to rest as the Spanish moss does not act as a parasite to the tree. The only way for the Spanish moss to harm the tree is when they become too dense for sunlight to reach the tree's leaves which lowers the trees photosynthetic rates and in turn harms the tree. These two species live harmoniously and are very abundant here in Wilmington due to our humid climate.

Done