The Fern Truck Trail in Altadena is a hike through a chaparral ecosystem that is typical of the canyons in that area. When you look at the canyon from a distance, you'll notice that the sides look dramatically different in terms of the type and amount of vegetation.
Fern Truck Trail
The left side is a North-facing slope and the right side is a South-facing slope. Here are the respective shots from the trail!
north slope trail observations south slope trail observations
Because of its position relative to the angle of the sun, the south-facing slope gets more direct radiation throughout the day compared to the north-facing slope. Can you think of ways that this may impact the distribution of species and their phenotypic characteristics? Make a hypothesis about leaf area and stomatal density. In your answer, explain the logic behind your hypothesis.