Display Full Text | Download Full Text
0.87 MB PDF file

Degree

Master of Science (MS), Wright State University, Biological Sciences, 2011.

Abstract

Low reproductive output has been shown in small, isolated populations of plants, and spring wildflowers in forest fragments may show a similar pattern. The goal of this study is to determine the impact of forest fragmentation on the reproductive success of three wildflowers: Cardamine concatenata, Delphinium tricorne, and Dicentra cucullaria. A secondary goal was to determine the impact of forest fragmentation on bumblebees (Bombus spp.) since they are important spring pollinators. Correlations and stepwise regression were used to determine the effects of forest fragment size on the reproductive success of each wildflower species, and also on the abundance and diversity of bumblebees. Delphinium tricorne was the only species that showed a strong significant increase in reproductive success as forest fragment size increased. The abundance and diversity of bumblebees was not significantly related to forest fragment size, but the reproductive success of Delphinium tricorne was significantly related to the abundance of bumblebees.

Subject Headings

Biology; Botany

Keywords

forest fragmentation; allee effect; plant reproduction; pollinators

Committee / Advisors

James Runkle, PhD (Advisor)
Thomas Rooney, PhD (Committee Member)
John Stireman, PhD (Committee Member)

Pages

64p.

Document number: wright1303161008
Permalink: http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=wright1303161008

This ETD has been downloaded 108 times (through March 2013)