POWRE: Impact of Soil Communities on Invasive Plant Species in Southern California

P.I.提出了一个项目，旨在探索土壤群落对南加州入侵和本地植物物种的作用。她将测试两种可能影响外来物种建立的土壤群落动态的潜在机制。第一种机制，互助者退化假说假设外来物种减少了对土壤互助者的依赖，因此在面对干扰时表现得更好。第二种机制，逃避病原体假说认为，外来物种摆脱了本土土壤中的病原体，从而促进了它们的建立。PI和合作者Bever将进行温室实验，在这些实验中，他们将监测接种了一系列土壤群落的盆栽中植物物种的生长情况。作为POWRE奖获得者，PI将继续向本科生开展外联活动，作为其努力的一部分，以增加年轻女科学家的数量，并增强妇女研究学生的科学知识。这将通过让她接触到新工具来促进她的职业生涯，并允许她在离开一段时间后重返野外生物学。

Subramaniam, BanuDEB 0075072The P.I. proposes a project to explore the role of soil communities on invasive and native plant species in southern California. She will test two potential mechanisms of soil community dynamics that may influence establishment of exotics. The first mechanism, the degradation of mutualists hypothesis postulates that exotic species have reduced dependence on soil mutualists and therefore do better in the face of disturbance. The second mechanism, the escape from pathogens hypothesis suggests that exotic species are freed of their native soil pathogens, thereby facilitating their establishment. The PI and collaborator Bever will conduct green house experiments in which they will monitor the growth of plant species in pots inoculated with a range of soil communities. As a POWRE awardee, the PI will continue outreach activities to undergraduate students as part of her effort to enhance the number of young women scientists and to enhance the scientific knowledge of Women's Studies students. This will advance the PI's career by allowing her unique exposure to new tools and allow her to return to field biology after some time away.