Example Ivy growing on a tree Observations: The tree and the ivy both appear to be growing upwards. There is much more ivy at the top of the tree than at the bottom. The branches at the top of the tree are spread out.
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Based on your observations you might conclude that: The tree and the ivy are competing with each other. The limited resource they are competing for is light. The tree is adapted to compete for light by spreading out its top branches The ivy is adapted to compete by growing more leaves at the top of the tree.
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Based on the research of other scientists you might also learn that: The tree loses its leaves in winter while the ivy does not, which allows the ivy to get more light during this time.
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To find out more about how different plants are adapted to compete within your study area you can use a line transect. A line transect is a piece of rope or a measuring tape on which marks are placed at one-metre intervals. The species that are found under each mark are recorded. The numbers of a particular plant type will change from one part of the habitat to another. For example, some plants may prefer to be in a well-lit area rather than a shaded area. In the example in Fig. 16 it may be observed that the tree competes very effectively for sunlight as it is tall and its branches are spread wide. This means that there are less plants growing under it as they cannot compete for the light. Plants like moss may be found growing in the shade of the tree. Moss is adapted to grow in the shade so it competes well in these areas.
