Author(s): Michael Ricks
Mentor(s): Michael C. Rotter
Institution UVU
Utah County (Utah, USA), holds a remarkably diverse array of ecosystems, possessing wetland, riparian, coniferous forests, and high desert. With this diversity, comes a variety of flora both common and distinct to these respective habitats. While there exist many guides that allow individuals to identify the plant communities of Utah, few exist to identify those found in Utah County. This research aims to further grasp the driving factors at work between the environment and the plant communities themselves. Vegetation density and corresponding abiotic factors were sampled across nine geographic areas of Utah County, and of those nine, six distinct communities were identified. Driving factors were identified to be elevation, soil moisture, and soil depth. As Utah County continues to experience urbanization, climate change, and extensive land development, this data holds potential foundations for predicting change in plant communities and their habitats.