Session 1A: Phenological Comparison of Native and Invasive Plant Types
Session Number
Session 1A: 2nd Presentation
Advisor(s)
Dr. Christine Rollinson, The Morton Arboretum
Location
Auditorium
Start Date
26-4-2018 9:40 AM
End Date
26-4-2018 10:25 AM
Abstract
When non-native plants are introduced to new communities, they can quickly become invasive, threatening native species and damaging the ecosystem. Understanding how a plant becomes invasive helps us develop more effective ways to manage and prevent ecosystem invasion. Phenology, the study of life cycle events such as leafing and flowering dates, is one lens to examine invasive establishment through. A species’ phenological niche affects how much it must compete for resources such as sunlight, and previous studies have shown that phenological strategies help invasives establish themselves. We investigated how the plant type of an invasive species might affect its phenological strategy. From March 2017 to November 2017, weekly phenology observations were collected in a woodland plot at the Morton Arboretum. Results showed that invasive forbs have shorter growing seasons: on average, invasive garlic mustard displayed green leaves for two months less than native white avens. Invasive shrubs, however, kept their leaves for longer than their native counterparts. Both groups of invasives used adjusted phenology to minimize competition for resources, but their phenological strategies differ based on their functional needs. More Midwest phenology data is needed to test these trends on a regional level.
Session 1A: Phenological Comparison of Native and Invasive Plant Types
Auditorium
When non-native plants are introduced to new communities, they can quickly become invasive, threatening native species and damaging the ecosystem. Understanding how a plant becomes invasive helps us develop more effective ways to manage and prevent ecosystem invasion. Phenology, the study of life cycle events such as leafing and flowering dates, is one lens to examine invasive establishment through. A species’ phenological niche affects how much it must compete for resources such as sunlight, and previous studies have shown that phenological strategies help invasives establish themselves. We investigated how the plant type of an invasive species might affect its phenological strategy. From March 2017 to November 2017, weekly phenology observations were collected in a woodland plot at the Morton Arboretum. Results showed that invasive forbs have shorter growing seasons: on average, invasive garlic mustard displayed green leaves for two months less than native white avens. Invasive shrubs, however, kept their leaves for longer than their native counterparts. Both groups of invasives used adjusted phenology to minimize competition for resources, but their phenological strategies differ based on their functional needs. More Midwest phenology data is needed to test these trends on a regional level.