NSF East Asia and Pacific Summer Institute (EAPSI) for FY 2013 in China

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This action funds Steven Thomas Callen of Saint Louis University to conduct a research project in Biological Sciences during the summer of 2013 at the Kunming Institute of Botany in Kunming, Yunnan, China. The project title is "A comparative analysis of floral reproductive traits between native and introduced kudzu (Pueraria montana)." The host scientist is Dr. Hong Wang.The ability of invasive plant species to reproduce in new environments may be limited by the availability of compatible mates and pollinators. In such situations, shifts in plant mating systems (for example, from outcrossing to self-fertilization) may promote invasion by providing enhanced fruit and seed production. Current understanding of mating system shifts during invasion is limited, particularly for perennial (long-lived) invaders that reproduce both sexually and clonally. In this study, the Fellow uses the vine kudzu (Pueraria montana), one of the most potent plant invaders in North America, as a model to investigate the consequences of invasion for the mating systems of perennial, clonal plants. The reproductive biology (pollinator and pollen availability and its capacity for fruit/seed set and self-fertilization) from its native range (China) to that from its introduced range (North America) are compared.Broader impacts of an EAPSI fellowship include providing the Fellow a first-hand research experience outside the U.S.; an introduction to the science, science policy, and scientific infrastructure of the respective location; and an orientation to the society, culture and language. These activities meet the NSF goal to educate for international collaborations early in the career of its scientists, engineers, and educators, thus ensuring a globally aware U.S. scientific workforce. Furthermore, this study supplements other comparative studies of plant invasions among China and North America to identify common factors driving invasion success between the two countries. Photos and videos will be integrated with the knowledge and results generated from this fellowship for presentations at national and international scientific meetings, reports for conservation organizations, and teaching activities. Establishing international collaborations allows the Fellow to connect undergraduate and high school students with Chinese researchers through video conferencing, helping to expand student concepts of scientific research to a global view.