Date
4-2017
Project Type
URC Presentation
College or School
COLSA
Class Year
Senior
Department
Natural Resources and the Environment
Major
Sustainable Agriculture
Faculty Research Advisor
Serita Frey
Abstract
Global change effects carbon (C) cycling, but interactions between abiotic and biotic stressors may determine sizes of soil C pools. The invasive plant Alliaria petiolata (garlic mustard) can reduce soil C contents and suppress plant growth. Abiotic stressors might interact with this biotic invasion to diminish specific soil C pools, such as fine roots, a sizeable reservoir of C. We implemented a full factorial experimental A. petiolata invasion into a decadal soil warming (H) ´ nitrogen (N)-deposition experiment at the Harvard Forest Long Term Ecological Research Site (LTER). Soils were collected from replicate plots in June 2016, and fine roots were picked from both organic and mineral soil horizons. I hypothesized that plots invaded by A. petiolata would have lower fine root biomass and the effect would enhance across all abiotic treatments. In support for my hypothesis, I found that A. petiolata invasion reduced fine root biomass and interacted with simulated N-deposition to further diminish fine roots. In contrast, I did not observe this in H plots or plots where H and N interacted. Biotic invasion interacts with abiotic stressors with more complexity than formerly believed and will impact fine roots differently in a warmer, fertilized environment.
Recommended Citation
Kittle, Amber Rebecca; Anthony, Mark A.; and Frey, Serita D., "Effects of Alliaria petiolata (Garlic Mustard) Invasion and Additional Abiotic Stressors on Fine Root Biomass of Native Tree Species" (2017). Undergraduate Research Conference (URC) Student Presentations. 390.
https://scholars.unh.edu/urc/390