Species diversity and abundance of terrestrial flora in coppices of different agesIntroduction: Coppicing is the removal of the canopy layer - such as hazel , ash and lime to almost ground level. This provides wood but also allows the trees to grow back with many more shoots instead of just one trunk. This cycle lasts around ten years, which gives the soil layer a chance to flourish. Hypotheses: There will be less diversity and abundance of species in the old coppice. Explanation: My hypotheses have many reasons that I will try to prove scientifically. We need to consider all the different factors involved in species diversity and abundance, especially the key factor. The key factor is the amount of light. Terrestrial flora obviously depends on light for photosynthesis. When the canopy layer is reduced, it allows more light to reach ground level, thereby increasing the abundance of plants on the ground as they can photosynthesize more. Additionally, soil acidity may be different, affecting species diversity, as some plants are better adapted to acidic soils while others may be better adapted to alkaline soils. I'm not sure what the coppicing will do or if it will affect the acidity of the soil, so I will have to investigate that. Additionally, soil moisture content will affect species abundance, as water will be a limiting factor in plant growth. There will be a higher moisture content in the new coppice due to its exposure to the elements as it has to cover a layer. This will mean there will be a greater abundance of species. Appearance will also play a role in species abundance and diversity. In Britain, a southern orientation will receive more light as it faces the equator which faces the sun. This means that a southern exposure will have a higher abundance because there is more light available. In the northern part, species diversity will also be lower, as it will mainly be composed of