Environmental Factor: Nutrient Availability

The nutrient availability will vary throughout the study area slightly with the changing slope and the way that the water moves through those soils. The flatter areas of the habitat would expect to have higher nutrient retention and consistency than a slope where a lot of the nutrients may runoff to lower elevations. The vegetation varies on the landscape in these flatter areas as well where the water tends to sit for longer periods of time. These plants are better suited for moister soils. As the study site gets closer to the forested area, there is a higher amount of wildlife activity in the bushes that provide food and shelter for the wildlife. These areas will also have a higher concentration of animal scat leading to higher levels of nitrogen in the soil. Areas with higher nutrient availability will have plants that need to have more mass and therefore a higher nutrient demand. They may also have structurally more dense germination in healthier soils. Dominant plants may differ in their response to nutrient variations and demands across the landscape.