Plant Sciences Commons^™

Comparisons Of Above- And Below-Ground Carbon Storage In A Northeastern Illinois Urban Forest Following Rhamnus Cathartica And Fraxinus Spp. Removal, River Sanchez-Dudik, Elene Drosos

DePaul Discoveries

This study focused on quantifying potential differences in ecosystem services (carbon storage, soil organic matter, macroarthropod density) in a small, partially restored urban forest in order to determine if common buckthorn and standing dead ash removal effects can be detected while restoration is on-going. We calculated aboveground carbon storage (tons/total area) using whole tree biomass equations and compared this to i-Tree Canopy estimations. We collected SOM through loss-on-ignition and collected macroinvertebrates by pitfall trapping to determine differences along transects. Aboveground carbon storage, soil organic matter, and macroinvertebrate total results for this study were found to be statistically not significant, indicating …

Interspersed Denuded Zone (Idz): How Patchy Leaf Litter Dynamics In A Buckthorn-Invaded Urban Woodland Can Affect Microarthropod Species Richness, Angela Stenberg

DePaul Discoveries

Biodiversity loss may serve as a key diagnostic of the Anthropocene. An important driver of this loss is by means of invasive species. In this study of a forest preserve in Chicago, Illinois we examined Interspersed Denuded Zones (IDZs for short), which are areas of patchy leaf litter in invaded forests caused in this case by the rapid decomposition of litter from buckthorn (Rhamnus cathartica). We characterized the leaf litter mass in IDZs and enumerated litter-inhabiting microarthropod populations. We found that plots of high buckthorn density are associated with IDZs: there was significantly less leaf litter mass in …

Hawai‘I Forest Review: Synthesizing The Ecology, Evolution, And Conservation Of A Model System, Kasey E. Barton, Andrea Westerband, Rebecca Ostertag, Elizabeth Stacy, Kawika Winter, Donald R. Drake, Lucas Berio Fortini, Creighton M. Litton, Susan Cordell, Paul Krushelnycky, Kapua Kawelo, Kealoha Feliciano, Gordon Bennett, Tiffany Knight

Life Sciences Faculty Research

As the most remote archipelago in the world, the Hawaiian Islands are home to a highly endemic and disharmonic biota that has fascinated biologists for centuries. Forests are the dominant terrestrial biome in Hawai‘i, spanning complex, heterogeneous climates across substrates that vary tremendously in age, soil structure, and nutrient availability. Species richness is low in Hawaiian forests compared to other tropical forests, as a consequence of dispersal limitation from continents and adaptive radiations in only some lineages, and forests are dominated by the widespread Metrosideros species complex. Low species richness provides a relatively tractable model system for studies of community …

Native Plant Allelopathy: A Potential Approach To Limit Invasive Grass Encroachment In Thorn Forest Restoration, Emily A. Mullins

Theses and Dissertations

Less than 5% of the Tamaulipan thorn forest remains in the United States. For this reason, there have been many attempts at restoration of this ecosystem. Oftentimes these attempts are unsuccessful due to the high prevalence of invasive African grasses that outcompete the seedlings. In an effort to improve the efficacy of these restoration efforts, native plant allelopathy has been examined for its ability to exclude invasive guineagrass. Native species were surveyed and selected species were tested for allelopathy in laboratory bioassays. The species that exhibited allelopathy in the laboratory were then evaluated in pot experiments for their ability to …

Soil Chemistry And Enzyme Data Examining Impacts Of Callery Pear Stem Cutting, Michaela J. Woods, Grace K. Attea, Ryan W. Mcewan

Five Rivers MetroParks Collaboration Data Archive

This dataset encompasses information following the collection of soil from underneath cut and treated Callery pear stems and untreated Callery pear trees. Soil was assessed for moisture, pH, and enzyme activities.

Surveying Eastern Hemlocks In The Northwestern Portion Of Port Sheldon Natural Area For Hemlock Woolly Adelgid, Murielle A. Garbarino

Honors Projects

Hemlock woolly adelgid (Adelges tsugae, HWA) is an insect native to Asia that feeds on the starches of hemlock trees (Tsuga spp.). HWA is invasive to the Eastern United States and can kill Eastern hemlock trees (Tsuga canadensis). Eastern hemlock is the only hemlock species native to Michigan. As of 2019, the invasion of HWA in Michigan is concentrated in the western portion of the lower peninsula. Monitoring is important to determine the extent of HWA within the state and to establish infested areas in need of treatment. This purpose of this project was to do a 100 percent survey …

Island Invasion: The Silent Crisis In Hawaii, Sophia Janssen

Pomona Senior Theses

Keeping out invasive species may, upon first review, seem like a trivial environmental cry from ecologists and deep environmentalists; a belated wish to return to an undeveloped world where nature was pristine. However invasive species create problems that impact all of us and can have far more severe consequences than changing a stunning landscape. These problems are heightened in islands like Hawaii, where the fragile ecosystems have developed over centuries of evolution and adaptation. The introduction of a disease-carrying mosquito can put the people of Hawaii at risk to many vector-born illnesses and create an epidemic, taking human life. The …

Mitigating Bioiversity Loss Of Native Plants, Jamie Ana Grigonis

Student Theses 2015-Present

Growing up harvesting from my own vegetable garden and going from nursery to nursery with my mother, it has been extremely evident that plant biodiversity is more than just privet along driveways and carnations in window boxes. Plant biodiversity is often overlooked but crucial to having a healthy and thriving environment. Without certain plants, our ecosystems will crumble and this needs to be addressed now while it’s still at a level we can grow from. In my internship I am working alongside the director of the Thain Family Forest at the New York Botanical Gardens in order to get a …

Comparative Study Of Photosynthesis Rates Between Native Red Maple And Invasive Norway Maple In The Eastern Deciduous Forest, Evan M. Bourtis, Lindsey R. Heckman

The Review: A Journal of Undergraduate Student Research

Invasive species, such as the Norway Maple, are often able to outcompete native species, such as the Red Maple by performing more efficiently in the environment compared to the native species. In this study, we examined if the Norway maple was able to outcompete the Red Maple in the Eastern Deciduous Forest because the Norway Maple had a higher rate of photosynthesis. The study found that the Norway Maple leaves had a slightly higher rate of carbon dioxide consumption than Red Maple leaves and that the Red Maple leaves had a higher rate of oxygen production compared to the Norway …

Understory Plant Community Structure In Forests Invaded By Garlic Mustard (Alliaria Petiolata), Jason Aylward

Masters Theses

ABSTRACT

UNDERSTORY PLANT COMMUNITY STRUCTURE IN FORESTS INVADED BY GARLIC MUSTARD (ALLIARIA PETIOLATA)

MAY 2016

JASON ALLEN AYLWARD, B.S., PAUL SMITH’S COLLEGE

M.S. UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS AMHERST

Directed by: Professor Kristina Stinson

Plant invasions represent a significant threat to the structure and function of natural ecosystems. Garlic mustard (Alliaria petiolata) has been identified as a threat to native communities mostly through small-scale studies and focused experiments. In this in situ observational study I examined the effects of garlic mustard invasion on species composition across multiple sites by comparing plant diversity and composition in invaded and adjacent …

The Relationship Between Male Moth Density And Female Mating Success In Invading Populations Of Lymantria Dispar, Patrick C. Tobin, Ksenia S. Onufrieva, Kevin W. Thorpe

USDA Forest Service / UNL Faculty Publications

The successful establishment of non-native species in new areas can be affected by many factors including the initial size of the founder population. Populations comprised of fewer individuals tend to be subject to stochastic forces and Allee effects (positive-density dependence), which can challenge the ability of small founder populations to establish in a new area. Although the conceptual relationship between initial colony size and establishment success has been previously documented, it is not trivial to estimate precisely the colony size needed to ensure colony persistence. Over the last 40 years, there have been many studies on the probability of mating …

A Potential Plan Of Action For Emerald Ash Borer In Nebraska, Lee Wheeler

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

Abstract Emerald Ash Borer (Agrilus planipennis) (EAB) is an invasive insect pest. It feeds on the cambium tissues of ash tree species. It was first discovered in the United States in 2002 in Detroit, Michigan. Their effects on ash trees are deadly, and it is quickly spreading across the Midwest. Nebraska has not yet been invaded, but confirmed findings continue getting closer and closer. The major problem facing Nebraskans, with regards to EAB, is how to begin preparations to prevent a dramatic economic loss when an infestation does occur. So, to address this problem, I have conducted street and park …