Does An Exotic Invasive Grass Facilitate The Invasion Of A Woody Species Into Remnant Prairies?: A Study of The Native, Prosopis glandulosa And the Alien, Sorghum halapense

Author

Amie E. Treuer

Graduation Semester and Year

2006

Language

English

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science in Biology

Department

Biology

First Advisor

Laura Gough

Abstract

The native tree, Prosopis glandulosa, and the exotic grass, Sorghum halepense, have been invading native prairies in the Southwest U.S. since the 1800s. My objectives were to determine if S. halepense was driving shifts in the abiotic and biotic structure of a native prairie and in doing so facilitating the invasion of P. glandulosa. Both field and greenhouse experiments were established to address these objectives. The presence of S. halepense lowered light and increased soil N in the field relative to the native prairie. Plant species diversity and the number of woody species were higher in an invaded zone than a native zone. Litter inhibited P. glandulosa germination in the field. More seeds germinated in the invaded zone than the native zone. Competition from neighbors inhibited seedling growth. Soil abiotic resources and community structure were being altered in a way that facilitated seedling recruitment but not growth of P. glandulosa.

Disciplines

Biology | Life Sciences

License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-Share Alike 4.0 International License.

Comments

Degree granted by The University of Texas at Arlington

Recommended Citation

Treuer, Amie E., "Does An Exotic Invasive Grass Facilitate The Invasion Of A Woody Species Into Remnant Prairies?: A Study of The Native, Prosopis glandulosa And the Alien, Sorghum halapense" (2006). Biology Theses. 50.
https://mavmatrix.uta.edu/biology_theses/50