Dissertation Research: Plant-soil feedback and invasive stiltgrass: Studying the black box of the feedback loop

入侵植物在世界范围内造成了巨大的环境和经济危害。即使可以成功地将一个入侵植物物种从一个地点移走，也很难防止其他入侵物种再次入侵或定居。这样的？遗产效应？入侵植物的产生被认为是由于这些植物改变土壤中微生物的方式，这些微生物负责营养、疾病和其他决定哪些植物可以在给定地区生长的因素。这项研究将研究一种入侵的草--日本高刺草--如何影响土壤微生物并增加北美东部森林火灾的强度。其中一个重点将放在一组细菌上，这些细菌负责使氮(以硝酸盐的形式)变得可用，从而使高脚草比本地草种更有利。另一个焦点将是高脚草入侵如何导致更热的火灾，这反过来可能对土壤细菌的影响与没有高脚草地区的火灾不同。通过揭示入侵物种如何改变土壤微生物和火灾强度，这项研究将帮助土地管理者制定有效的策略来控制高脚草和类似的入侵物种。结果将通过为公园和康乐部制作的小册子分发给当地土地管理人员。该项目还与当地一名高中教师合作，为高中生物课程制作了关于入侵植物的材料。此外，有关入侵植物和土壤微生物的材料将作为印第安纳州市场博物学家布鲁明顿的一部分分发。程序。

Invasive plants cause substantial environmental and economic harm, worldwide. Even when an invasive plant species can be successfully removed from a site, it is very difficult to prevent re-invasion or colonization by other invasive species. Such ?legacy effects? of invasive plants are thought to arise from the way in which those plants change microbes in the soil responsible for nutrients, diseases, and other factors that determine which plants can grow in a given area. This study will examine how an invasive grass, Japanese stiltgrass, may affect soil microbes and increase the intensity of forest fires in the eastern North America. One focus will be on a group of bacteria responsible for making nitrogen (in the form of nitrate) available in a way that benefits stiltgrass over native grass species. Another focus will be on how stiltgrass invasion results in hotter fires, which in turn may impact soil bacteria differently than fires in areas without stiltgrass. By revealing how invasive species change soil microbes and fire intensity, this study will assist land managers in developing effective strategies for control of stiltgrass and similar invasive species. Results will be distributed to local land managers via a pamphlet created for the Department of Parks and Recreation. In collaboration with a local high school teacher, the project is also creating materials on invasive plants for the high school biology curriculum. Additionally, material on invasive plants and soil microbes will be distributed as part of Bloomington, Indiana's ?Naturalist at Market? program.