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Name: Ruth S.
Status: student
Age: 17
Location: N/A
Country: N/A
Date: Monday, December 02, 2002
Question:
How does light intensity affect plant diversity and why?

Replies:
Different plants are adapted to different light levels. Some thrive in full sun, others do well in shade. In the upper midwest at least, there are more species adapted to full sun than to shade. In an undisturbed open prairie there may be several hundred species per acre, while in a shaded forest there will be far fewer. Light level is often a critical limiting factor for plant diversity.

J. Elliott


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