Pinelands Lab Report

Introduction:

Southern New Jersey is home to an area of vast forests which are federally protected by the American Government. This area is known as the Pinelands, and it consists of many different plants, trees, and animals. Here in the Pinelands, all of these different species intertwine with one another, essentially needing one another in order to thrive and survive. Over the years, scientists have begun studying these relationships, today we know this as Ecology. In this particular lab, students sought out two different areas to conduct their experiment. The first area was a lowland area, deep in the woods. The second area was a highland area, right at the entrance into the woods. However, both areas were just a short walk away, and the only thin separating the two was a wooden foot bridge. After observing both areas, it was obvious there was a difference between the two, this difference came in the form of moisture. The lowland area sat much

However, both areas were thriving with life but these species do not exist in both low and high lands. Certain species live in the lowland community for one reason and one reason only, abundance of water. This high content of water allows these species to live and especially reproduce. In order to reproduce, the species in the lowlands need to be closer to water. For reproduction in the highlands, water is not a necessity to do so. These species reproduce by spreading their gametes. For example, an acorn falling from a tree, the acorn serves as an embryo and protection for the reproduction cycle. In both areas there were dominant species, in the highlands you had the White Oak dominating the canopy level, and in the lowlands there was the Atlantic White Cedar. The ground level in the highland was dominated by brush. Unfortunately, we were unable to determine what this species was, but it was very