Question

What do the data from the field experiment indicate about the effect of competition on the growth of these two species? Which species was limited more by competition?

Short answer

Competition hampered the growth of both species when S. patens and T. angustifolia were grown in the field.

Competition affected S. patens'development more than T. angustifolia's.

Step-by-step solution

The field experiment of S. patens and T. angustifolia

Salinity and competition affecting the distribution of plants in an estuary formed the basis for the experiment. In the field experiment, researchers planted S. patens and T. angustifolia alongside, without surrounding plants, in salt marshes and freshwater marshes.

After two growth seasons (1.5 years), they assessed the biomass of each species in each treatment.

Competition

The term competition refers to a species interaction in which two species compete for the same resources.The presence of another species has a detrimental impact on the availability of a resource for one species.

Species affected by competition

According to the field experiment results, both Spartina patens and Typha angustifolia were hampered by competition. However, Spartina patens were more hampered by competition than Typha angustifoli.

This is because Typha angustifolia does not tolerate saline conditions. On the other hand, both freshwater and salt marshes are suitable habitats for Spartina patens.

Spartina patens, in comparison to Typha angustifolia, have a better saline tolerance.