Dissertation Research: Limits to Invasion of South Florida Pine Savannas

生物入侵是由影响殖民者建立和种群增长的过程控制的。研究人员目前正在通过1)使用功能基团来开发关于入侵和某些生活史特征的作用的假说，以及2)跟踪某些物种的已建立的种群，包括一种外来入侵者，以更好地了解影响该系统中已建立的植物生长和存活的因素，来研究禾本科植物在佛罗里达州南部大沼泽地地区的入侵。拟议的论文研究将调查可能对决定这些禾本科植物早期入侵成功的重要因素。工作将在大沼泽地国家公园的高地松树稀树草原进行，种植莎草科和禾本科物种。繁殖和根茎添加实验将研究具有一系列生活史策略、形态、生长形式和入侵倾向的物种在四个不同微站点的萌发、建立、存活和生长。这项研究的主要目的是确定早期生命周期阶段在限制本地和外来物种对不同稀树草原微站点的殖民方面所起的作用。这项研究和论文的其他研究将被用来做出特定于栖息地的入侵预测。

0073230PlattBiological invasions are governed by processes that affect establishment of colonizers and growth of populations. The investigators are currently examining invasions by graminoids in the Everglades region of south Florida by 1) using functional groups to develop hypotheses about invasiveness and the role of certain life history characteristics, and 2) following established populations of certain species, including one exotic invader, to better understand factors influencing growth and survival of established plants in this system. The proposed dissertation research will investigate factors that may be important in determining early invasion success of these graminoids. Work will occur in upland pine savannas of the Everglades National Park with species of Cyperaceae and Poaceae. Propagule and rhizome addition experiments will examine germination, establishment, survival and growth of individuals from species with a range of life history strategies, morphologies, growth forms, and invasive tendencies in four distinct microsites. The main objective of the study is to determine the role of early life cycle stages in limiting colonization of different savanna microsites by native and exotics. This study, together with the rest of the dissertation research, will be used to make habitat-specific invasion predictions.