RUcore: Rutgers University Community Repository
The effects of soil manipulations on invasion success of two exotic species, Japanese barberry (Berberis thunbergii) and Japanese stiltgrass (Microstegium vimineum)
Descriptive
TypeOfResource
Text
TitleInfo
(ID = T-1)
Title
The effects of soil manipulations on invasion success of two exotic species, Japanese barberry (Berberis thunbergii) and Japanese stiltgrass (Microstegium vimineum)
Identifier
(type = hdl)
http://hdl.rutgers.edu/1782.2/rucore10001600001.ETD.17558
Identifier
ETD_1301
Language
LanguageTerm
(authority = ISO 639-3:2007)
English
Genre
(authority = marcgt)
theses
Subject
(ID = SBJ-1);
(authority = RUETD)
Topic
Ecology and Evolution
Subject
(ID = SBJ-2);
(authority = ETD-LCSH)
Topic
Barberries
Subject
(ID = SBJ-3);
(authority = ETD-LCSH)
Topic
Grasses
Subject
(ID = SBJ-4);
(authority = ETD-LCSH)
Topic
Invasive plants
Abstract
Biological invasions by exotic, invasive plants are widely recognized as a threat to biodiversity and ecosystem function. Invasive plants alter ecosystem processes, specifically shifts in plant community composition and nutrient cycling. Subtle ecosystem effects of non-native species invasion are often undetected and understudied. Invasion driven changes to above- and below-ground processes and structure can create feedbacks that increase site susceptibility to further invasion. Enhancing resistance to further invasion in systems already experiencing altered community structure and nutrient cycling continues to challenge restoration ecologists. To investigate practical ecological methods designed to enhance biotic resistance of a system to invasion, I tested the effectiveness of six different soil manipulations to alter chemical, physical, and biological aspects of forest soils that influence the invasion of two invasive, exotic species, Berberis thunbergii and Microstegium vimineum. I focused on experimental manipulations of nitrogen availability, surface leaf litter, and mycorrhizal infection in greenhouse and field studies to provide a multi-pronged approach to investigations of exotic species invasion success. Nitrogen additions tested the response of two exotic and two native species to different forms and concentrations of nitrogen. Exotic species were found to be more plastic in their growth response to either nitrogen form in both excessive or limiting concentrations. Topsoil removal showed some success in limiting inorganic nitrogen availability but trends were not consistent. Woodchip additions were not successful at immobilizing nitrogen or increasing the C:N ratio of the soil. Aluminum sulfate, added to increase soil acidity, was also not consistently effective, but did lower soil pH temporarily. The nitrification inhibitor applied to field plots proved to be ineffective in forest soils. Leaf litter addition applied to field soils in which Microstegium seeds were planted did not inhibit but enhanced its growth compared to soils without litter. And finally although Microstegium roots were found to be responsive to arbuscular mycorrhizal colonization, its growth in two different forest soils was not negatively affected by removal of mycorrhizal inoculum. This research highlights the plasticity of these two exotic species to a variety of environmental conditions and reveals the challenges of forest soil restoration.
PhysicalDescription
Extent
x, 147 pages
InternetMediaType
application/pdf
InternetMediaType
text/xml
Note
(type = degree)
Ph.D.
Note
(type = bibliography)
Includes bibliographical references.
Name
(ID = NAME-1);
(type = personal)
NamePart
(type = family)
Ross
NamePart
(type = given)
Kristen Ann
Role
RoleTerm
(authority = RULIB)
author
DisplayForm
Kristen Ann Ross
Name
(ID = NAME-2);
(type = personal)
NamePart
(type = family)
Ehrenfeld
NamePart
(type = given)
Joan
Role
RoleTerm
(authority = RULIB)
chair
Affiliation
Advisory Committee
DisplayForm
Joan G Ehrenfeld
Name
(ID = NAME-3);
(type = personal)
NamePart
(type = family)
Handel
NamePart
(type = given)
Steven
Role
RoleTerm
(authority = RULIB)
internal member
Affiliation
Advisory Committee
DisplayForm
Steven Handel
Name
(ID = NAME-4);
(type = personal)
NamePart
(type = family)
Dighton
NamePart
(type = given)
John
Role
RoleTerm
(authority = RULIB)
internal member
Affiliation
Advisory Committee
DisplayForm
John Dighton
Name
(ID = NAME-5);
(type = personal)
NamePart
(type = family)
Groffman
NamePart
(type = given)
Peter
Role
RoleTerm
(authority = RULIB)
internal member
Affiliation
Advisory Committee
DisplayForm
Peter Groffman
Name
(ID = NAME-6);
(type = personal)
NamePart
(type = family)
Pouyat
NamePart
(type = given)
Richard
Role
RoleTerm
(authority = RULIB)
outside member
Affiliation
Advisory Committee
DisplayForm
Richard Pouyat
Name
(ID = NAME-1);
(type = corporate)
NamePart
Rutgers University
Role
RoleTerm
(authority = RULIB)
degree grantor
Name
(ID = NAME-2);
(type = corporate)
NamePart
Graduate School - New Brunswick
Role
RoleTerm
(authority = RULIB)
school
OriginInfo
DateCreated
(qualifier = exact)
2008
DateOther
(qualifier = exact);
(type = degree)
2008-10
Location
PhysicalLocation
(authority = marcorg)
NjNbRU
RelatedItem
(type = host)
TitleInfo
Title
Graduate School - New Brunswick Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Identifier
(type = local)
rucore19991600001
Identifier
(type = doi)
doi:10.7282/T3XG9RD6
Genre
(authority = ExL-Esploro)
ETD doctoral
Back to the top
Rights
RightsDeclaration
(AUTHORITY = GS);
(ID = rulibRdec0006)
The author owns the copyright to this work.
Copyright
Status
Copyright protected
Availability
Status
Open
AssociatedEntity
(AUTHORITY = rulib);
(ID = 1)
Name
Kristen Ross
Role
Copyright holder
Affiliation
Rutgers University. Graduate School - New Brunswick
RightsEvent
(AUTHORITY = rulib);
(ID = 1)
Type
Permission or license
Detail
Non-exclusive ETD license
AssociatedObject
(AUTHORITY = rulib);
(ID = 1)
Type
License
Name
Author Agreement License
Detail
I hereby grant to the Rutgers University Libraries and to my school the non-exclusive right to archive, reproduce and distribute my thesis or dissertation, in whole or in part, and/or my abstract, in whole or in part, in and from an electronic format, subject to the release date subsequently stipulated in this submittal form and approved by my school. I represent and stipulate that the thesis or dissertation and its abstract are my original work, that they do not infringe or violate any rights of others, and that I make these grants as the sole owner of the rights to my thesis or dissertation and its abstract. I represent that I have obtained written permissions, when necessary, from the owner(s) of each third party copyrighted matter to be included in my thesis or dissertation and will supply copies of such upon request by my school. I acknowledge that RU ETD and my school will not distribute my thesis or dissertation or its abstract if, in their reasonable judgment, they believe all such rights have not been secured. I acknowledge that I retain ownership rights to the copyright of my work. I also retain the right to use all or part of this thesis or dissertation in future works, such as articles or books.
Back to the top
Technical
Format
(TYPE = mime);
(VERSION = )
application/x-tar
FileSize
(UNIT = bytes)
1128960
Checksum
(METHOD = SHA1)
989fa0f3f6f0578e5ddc6c8e848173d5934c86f9
ContentModel
ETD
CompressionScheme
other
OperatingSystem
(VERSION = 5.1)
windows xp
Format
(TYPE = mime);
(VERSION = NULL)
application/x-tar
Back to the top
Statistical Profile