Competitive Exclusion Between Echinacea angustifolia and Echinacea purpurea
Session Number
C06
Advisor(s)
Stuart Wagenius, Chicago Botanic Garden
Location
B-125 Tellabs
Start Date
28-4-2016 9:50 AM
End Date
28-4-2016 10:15 AM
Abstract
The potential impacts of future invasive species in habitat restorations and preservations can be better understood through examining the effects of a non-native species in a remnant prairie plant community. This study will accomplish this through testing the competitive exclusion principle, creating an environment where Echinacea purpurea and Echinacea angustifolia , a non- native species and a native species, are competing directly for resources, and will measure the height of the seedlings of these two species when they are grown together. Over the course of the investigation, E. angstifolia and E. purpurea seedlings were planted in three levels of treatment: individual E. angustifolia seedlings, individual E. purpurea seedlings, and E. purpurea and E. angustifolia . There were also varying density levels of these species. Based on preliminary data, E. purpurea seems to grow shorter in mixed treatments, while E. angustifolia seems to grow taller in mixed treatments. Currently, 259 total seedlings across 189 pots are being measured in order to gather more data, 206 of which are E. angustifolia and 53 of which are E. purpurea . This study seeks to demonstrate the competitive exclusion principle between E. angustifolia and E. purpurea , which will provide insight into their behavior in other competitive settings.
Competitive Exclusion Between Echinacea angustifolia and Echinacea purpurea
B-125 Tellabs
The potential impacts of future invasive species in habitat restorations and preservations can be better understood through examining the effects of a non-native species in a remnant prairie plant community. This study will accomplish this through testing the competitive exclusion principle, creating an environment where Echinacea purpurea and Echinacea angustifolia , a non- native species and a native species, are competing directly for resources, and will measure the height of the seedlings of these two species when they are grown together. Over the course of the investigation, E. angstifolia and E. purpurea seedlings were planted in three levels of treatment: individual E. angustifolia seedlings, individual E. purpurea seedlings, and E. purpurea and E. angustifolia . There were also varying density levels of these species. Based on preliminary data, E. purpurea seems to grow shorter in mixed treatments, while E. angustifolia seems to grow taller in mixed treatments. Currently, 259 total seedlings across 189 pots are being measured in order to gather more data, 206 of which are E. angustifolia and 53 of which are E. purpurea . This study seeks to demonstrate the competitive exclusion principle between E. angustifolia and E. purpurea , which will provide insight into their behavior in other competitive settings.