Investigating Shading as a Viable Control Method for I. pseudacorus Seed Establishment
Location
CSU 202
Start Date
10-4-2018 1:05 PM
End Date
10-4-2018 2:05 PM
Student's Major
Biological Sciences
Student's College
Science, Engineering and Technology
Mentor's Name
Matthew Kaproth
Mentor's Department
Biological Sciences
Mentor's College
Science, Engineering and Technology
Description
Iris pseudacorus (yellow iris), a wetland invasive species, is documented in all coastal regions of the U.S. and is prevalent in the Great Lakes states and Midwest. States including Connecticut, Massachusetts, Montana, New Hampshire, Oregon, and Washington have listed I. pseudacorus as a noxious weed. I. pseudacorus displaces native vegetation and negatively impacts wetland structure, function, habitat and successional trajectories. Recent research has provided evidence that I. pseudacorus spreads almost entirely by seed and not rhizome fragmentation as previously believed (Gaskin et al., 2016). I. pseudacorus seeds have high viability (Gaskin et al., 2016), can float long distances (Coops and Van Der Velde, 1995 in Tu et al., 2003), and form seed banks with their large, persistent seeds. I. pseudacorus seeds have demonstrated a photorequirement for successful germination (Deno, 1993), which may be a limiting factor in their establishment. Research has also found evidence that treatment/removal effectiveness could be genotype specific (Gaskin et al., 2016). Additional research regarding management and treatment/removal techniques is needed as I. pseudacorus demonstrates a strong potential for re-growth and re-establishment post treatment/removal. We hypothesized that reducing light availability by ≥50% would inhibit establishment of I. pseudacorus seeds. We performed a greenhouse experiment with two lighting conditions testing germination and establishment rates to investigate the use of shading as a viable control method for I. pseudacorus seed re-establishment post treatment/removal. We performed the experiment using two seed sources (assumed genetic difference) to establish further evidence that treatment and post-treatment control effectiveness could be genotype specific.
Investigating Shading as a Viable Control Method for I. pseudacorus Seed Establishment
CSU 202
Iris pseudacorus (yellow iris), a wetland invasive species, is documented in all coastal regions of the U.S. and is prevalent in the Great Lakes states and Midwest. States including Connecticut, Massachusetts, Montana, New Hampshire, Oregon, and Washington have listed I. pseudacorus as a noxious weed. I. pseudacorus displaces native vegetation and negatively impacts wetland structure, function, habitat and successional trajectories. Recent research has provided evidence that I. pseudacorus spreads almost entirely by seed and not rhizome fragmentation as previously believed (Gaskin et al., 2016). I. pseudacorus seeds have high viability (Gaskin et al., 2016), can float long distances (Coops and Van Der Velde, 1995 in Tu et al., 2003), and form seed banks with their large, persistent seeds. I. pseudacorus seeds have demonstrated a photorequirement for successful germination (Deno, 1993), which may be a limiting factor in their establishment. Research has also found evidence that treatment/removal effectiveness could be genotype specific (Gaskin et al., 2016). Additional research regarding management and treatment/removal techniques is needed as I. pseudacorus demonstrates a strong potential for re-growth and re-establishment post treatment/removal. We hypothesized that reducing light availability by ≥50% would inhibit establishment of I. pseudacorus seeds. We performed a greenhouse experiment with two lighting conditions testing germination and establishment rates to investigate the use of shading as a viable control method for I. pseudacorus seed re-establishment post treatment/removal. We performed the experiment using two seed sources (assumed genetic difference) to establish further evidence that treatment and post-treatment control effectiveness could be genotype specific.
Recommended Citation
Bentley, Brandon. "Investigating Shading as a Viable Control Method for I. pseudacorus Seed Establishment." Undergraduate Research Symposium, Mankato, MN, April 10, 2018.
https://cornerstone.lib.mnsu.edu/urs/2018/oral-session-10/1
