Dissertation Research: Comparative Ecological Studies Between a Native (Lonicera sempervirens) and an Introduced Congener (L. japonica)

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The study of invasive plant species has often emphasized attempts to make generalizations about the life history characteristics of invaders and descriptions of their genetic variability. In these attempts, species native to widely divergent climates and habitats are often compared. The results are often a comparison of species that only have their invasive ability in common. Comparative study of a native species growing with an invasive congener has been repeatedly suggested as a means of gaining a clearer understanding of the attributes that actually do enable a species to become invasive. This type of comparative study could also contribute to an understanding of the changes plant invaders may affect in the communities in which they occur. This study will perform such a comparison. The focus of the study will be Lonicero japonica native to Asia, and Lonicera sempervirens native to the southeastern United States. This investigation will be conducted in the southeastern United States where L . japonica has been an invasive species since the early 19th century. This study will include a comparative examination of seed emergence, seedling survival, growth rates, temporal variation in light utilization, and any effects preferential herbivory may have on growth and establishment between the two species. The potential effects of pollinator competition on population biology will be examined through observations of pollination within and among populations of these two congeners. Changes in plant community structure will be measured by sampling community composition in a series of successive old fields. The proposed project will contribute to an improved understanding of the possible advantages invading species have as compared to native species, the effects their presence may have on succession and plant community structure.