Biology Commons^™

The Competition Of Pityopsis Ruthii With Liatris Microcephala And Andropogon Temarius, Helen Lee

Senior Research Projects

Pityopsis ruthii (Small) Small, currently listed as an endangered species by the State of Tennessee and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, is a perennial plant belonging to the family Asteraceae. The distribution of P. ruthii is limited to soil that has accumulated in cracks and crevices of phyllite or graywacke boulders along the Ocoee and Hiwassee Rivers. Analysis of both the soil and the boulders indicate neither the absence nor the presence of any unusual nutrient. P. ruthii is most likely restricted to this habitat mainly because of its inability to compete with other more vigorously growing associates. The …

Discovery And Percent Colonization Of Vesicular-Arbuscular Mycorrhizae In Pueraria Lobata, Christine Marie Sager

Senior Research Projects

Pueraria lobata, more commonly known as Kudzu, was brought from Japan to the United States in 1876. Although originally planted for erosion control, P. lobata's vigorous growth facilitated its escape and caused it to spread over vast areas of land. Today P. lobata is found predominately in the Southeastern United States where it thrives during the summer months, growing up to a foot a day. This growth leads to a vine-like canopy several layers thick with deep set roots which makes removal of the plant extremely difficult.

Research on P. lobata is limited and has focused mainly on its role …