Plant ecology

Botanical ecology is a branch of ecology that investigates the distribution and abundance of plants. It also looks at how different environmental conditions affect plant abundance. It also looks at the interactions that occur among and between plants and other creatures. For example, the distribution of temperate deciduous forests in North America, the impact of drought or floods on plant survival, competition among desert plants for water, and the influence of herds of grazing animals on the composition of grasslands are all examples of research topics.

Archibold provides a worldwide overview of the Earth's principal plant kinds, which is based on his research. In total, he distinguishes 11 major types of vegetation, including tropical forests, tropical grasslands, arid regions (deserts), Mediterranean ecosystems, temperate forest ecosystems, temperate grasslands, coniferous forests, tundra (both polar and high mountain), terrestrial wetlands, freshwater ecosystems, and coastal/marine systems (see chart below). This diversity of themes demonstrates the complexity of plant ecology, since it encompasses plants ranging in size from floating single-celled algae to huge canopy-forming trees and everything in between.