Life Sciences Commons^™

The Sign And Strength Of Plant-Soil Feedback For The Invasive Shrub, Lonicera Maackii, Varies In Different Soils, Kelly Schradin, Don Cipollini

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Plants alter soil characteristics causing changes in their subsequent growth resulting in positive or negative feedback on both their own fitness and that of other plants. In a greenhouse study, we investigated whether the sign and strength of feedback changed across two distinct soil types, and whether effects were due to shifts in biotic or abiotic soil traits. Using soils from two different locations, we examined growth of the exotic invasive shrub, Lonicera maackii and the related native shrub, Diervilla lonicera, in unconditioned soils and in soils conditioned by previous growth of L. maackii, D. lonicera, and …