... danger has led to many efforts to curb kuzdu's spread. Kuzdu's proliferation in the South began partly due to the environment's inability to handle the weed. Kuzdu is actually a native of China and Japan and was introduced to the US in 1876 at the Centennial Exposition in Pennsylvania. The plant was later brought to the South at the New Orleans Exposition during 1884 to 1886. American gardeners became enamored with kuzdu ... vegetation that serves as food and habitat for species within an ecosystem. Climbing vines cover trees and shield them from light, and the vines overtake man-made s...

• Word Count: 372
• Approx Pages: 1
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... doesn't mean being strong. It means being able to a) compete for resources (like light, space, and nutrients); b) avoid predation (by both mammals, such as deer and porcupines, and by insects); and c) resist the impacts of disease and severe weather. Being taller gives a plant an obvious advantage in the competition for light. But that advantage comes at a cost. Very tall plants (like trees) need ... to be strong enough to withstand the tremendous forces from both summer winds and winter snow and ice, forces from ... he/science push the chronology further into the past. Climatic change...

• Word Count: 2774
• Approx Pages: 11
• Grade Level: High School

... while others are canopy or emergent trees that are waiting for the other trees to fall. When that happens, they quickly grow to their full height. Many animals live in the understory and feed on the abundance of fruits, leaves, and other animals. This environment is one of the diffuse light, high humidity, and stable temperatures. The forest floor is inhabited by plants and animals, many of which ... survive by decomposing the dead material from the upper levels which has fallen to the ground. Few types of green plants can survive ... , cannon-ball sized fruits which can contain up to 2...

• Word Count: 763
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: High School

... life. Along with the light, moisture affects the ecosystem in a similar way. Moisture was need for the producers to photosynthesize and make food to start the food chain. As the temperature change, so did the form that the moisture came in; rain in the fall and spring, and snow/hail in the winter months. With my advantageous water plentiful setting, the lack of moisture never dramatically affects the ecosystem. Lake Ripple ... of succession. These aquatic plants are taking over the lake. In just a few months I have noticed a shift from, barren lakebed to one that had abundant plant growt...

• Word Count: 1874
• Approx Pages: 7
• Grade Level: High School