A moss species that you study occurs in lush abundance in the moist, shaded forest floor in a grove of coast redwoods (Sequoia sempervirens) in Northern California. When one of the massive old trees abruptly topples over, there is a dramatic increase in the amount of light and air movement in a sizable patch of the moss’ habitat. This is a rare opportunity for you to study the effects on the moss of a sudden shift in the environmental conditions in which it grows. Devise an experimental plan to guide your research, including hypotheses about one or more ways the change may affect the species’ growth and/or life cycle.
