User talk:Abgilmor/sandbox
Groundcover as a subject is often difficult to address, because it is known by several different names in scientific communities and is classified several different ways. The term groundcover could also be referring to “the herbaceous layer,” “regenerative layer and “ground flora.” These terms are typically region-locked, as “herbaceous layer” is more commonly used by North American researchers, whereas “groundcover” or “ground vegetation” is more commonly used by European researchers. [1]
Contributions to Environment The herbaceous layer is often overlooked in most ecological analyses because it’s so common and contributes the smallest amount of the environment’s overall biomass. This lack of interest might be contributing to the decreasing biodiversity seen in the herbaceous layer, which is a large threat to its survival. The groundcover layer of a forest can contribute up to 90% of the ecosystem’s plant diversity. In many ecosystems, the ratio of biomass to contribution to plant productivity is disproportionate in the herbaceous layer. The herbaceous layer can constitute up to 4% of the overall Net Primary Productivity (NPP) of an ecosystem, four times it’s average biomass. NPP is defined as the transfer of carbon from the atmosphere to green plants over a certain period of time, and is a crucial element of plant productivity. [2]
Reproduction Groundcover typically reproduces one of five ways: [3]
- Lateral growth: Lateral branches grow to spread the plant.
- Side growth: Branches on the side of the plant extend outwards upon contact with the soil.
- Base growth: New plants produced from the base of the origin plant.
- Under/Above Ground growth: Produced from rhizomes and stolons.
- Roots
Groundcover growth rate depends on the availability of resources in its environment necessary to survival, such as water, sunlight and soil aspects.
Disturbance Response Like most foliage, groundcover reacts to both natural and anthropogenic disturbances. These responses can be classified one of two ways, legacy or active. Legacy responses occur during long-term changes to an environment, such as the conversion of a forest to agricultural land and back into forest. Active changes occur with sudden disturbances to the environment, such as tornadoes and forest fires
Variations Two common variations of groundcover are residency and transient species. Residency species typically reach a maximum of 1.5 meters in height, and are therefore permanently classified as herbaceous. Transient species are capable of growing past 1.5 meters, and are therefore only temporarily considered herbaceous. These height differences make ideal environments for a variety of animals. For instance, Groundcover can also be classified in terms of its foliage. Groundcover that keeps its foliage for the entire year is known as evergreen, whereas groundcover that loses its foliage in the winter months is known as deciduous.
Role in Gardening Groundcover is a popular solution for difficult gardening issues because it’s low maintenance, aesthetically pleasing and fast growing, which minimizes the spread of weeds. For this reason, ground cover is also a popular choice for roof gardens. Roofs take on the brunt of incoming weather, meaning any plants on a roof must be resistant to long-term exposure to sun, overwatering from rain and harsh winds. Groundcover plants are able to sustain themselves in such conditions while also providing lush vegetation to what would otherwise be unused space.
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