Skip to Main Content
 

Global Search Box

 
 
 
 

Files

File List


ysu1289941507.pdf (753.97 KB)

ETD Abstract Container

Abstract Header

Spatial and Temporal Dependent Shifts in Grassland Invasibility

Pfeil, Erin
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ysu1289941507

Abstract Details

2010, Master of Science in Biological Sciences, Youngstown State University, Department of Biological Sciences and Chemistry.
A biological community can become invaded by non-resident species when the resources necessary for establishment and growth coincide with invader propagules. There are many ecological factors that affect below- and aboveground resource availability in a community and this research integrates both spatially and temporally varying components. In a managed grassland, we measured the interactive effects of disturbance patch size (DPS), grazing intensity (GI), and soil resource availability (SRA) on the invasion success of smooth pigweed Amaranthus hybridus (L.) and velvetleaf Abutilon theophrasti (L.). Importantly, we considered two life history stages of each focal invader (i.e., emerged and established seedlings) because invasion success may depend on when resource shifts coincide with particular life history stages. Our empirical data generally support the following predictions: 1) thresholds in ISP exist across DPS, the magnitude of which increases with higher SRA levels, 2) the life history stage of the invader strongly affects ISP in smaller sized patches containing high SRA, 3) regardless of invader size, grazing effects are large in small DPSs in high SRA area 4), in the absence of grazing, SRA within a given DPS can have opposing effects on ISP. Integrating disturbance type and intensity across other ecological dimensions is important in elucidating the mechanisms of community invasibility as well as offering sound recommendations to managers of native grassland communities.
Ian Renne, PhD (Advisor)
Thomas Diggins, PhD (Committee Member)
Felicia Armstrong, PhD (Committee Member)
32 p.
Agriculture; Biology; Ecology; Plant Propagation
Invasion ecology; Resource availability and invader success; Invasibility; Factors affecting diversity

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Pfeil, E. (2010). Spatial and Temporal Dependent Shifts in Grassland Invasibility [Master's thesis, Youngstown State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ysu1289941507

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Pfeil, Erin. Spatial and Temporal Dependent Shifts in Grassland Invasibility. 2010. Youngstown State University, Master's thesis. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ysu1289941507.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Pfeil, Erin. "Spatial and Temporal Dependent Shifts in Grassland Invasibility." Master's thesis, Youngstown State University, 2010. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ysu1289941507

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

ysu1289941507
535
© 2010, all rights reserved.
This open access ETD is published by Youngstown State University and OhioLINK.