Submission Type
Poster
Abstract
Global warming is gradually affecting the local climate causing pollinators and plants to change their emergence and flowering times. This can potentially cause a phenology mismatch between pollinator activity and open flowers leading to limitation in seed production in plants. However, other factors such as intense predation or competition can also shift phenology. As part of a preliminary study exploring the mechanisms of phenology mismatch, Cardamine concatenata and Claytonia virginica, were observed to determine if there is a phenology shift due to competition with an invasive plant that flowers early and overlaps these two native species. In early spring, we chose invasive and non-invasive sites in Cherokee Park, in Louisville, Kentucky based on the presence of the invasive species, Ficaria verna. Data was taken from five permanently marked, 1-meter by 1-meter plots at each site. Plots were checked twice a week for open flowers of Cardamine concatenata and Claytonia virginica throughout the flowering time of each species. At each sampling, we examined pollinator activity and local environmental factors, such as soil pH, soil moisture, light, and temperature. At each sampling, the number of open flowers was counted and recorded. The plots were also observed for fifteen minutes, recording all pollinator species visiting the two flowering species of interest. Preliminary analysis of our research results indicated that Cardamine concatenata and Claytonia virginica illustrated different responses in invasive sites compared to non-invasive sites. Cardamine concatenata consistently showed a higher number of open flowers in non-invasive sites. Opposingly, Claytonia virginica showed a high number of open flowers in both invasive and non-invasive sites. Sun exposure co-factor showed direct correlation with increased number of open flowers of both native, early spring species. More study is needed, but the differences in flower abundance and flowering time may be due to the invasive species, Ficaria verna, competing with Cardamine concatenata for pollinators. Future analysis may include observing the competition activity of the invasive species, Ficaria verna to the native species, Cardamine concatenata and Claytonia virginica and their relevance to global warming.
Investigating Pollinator Mismatch in Cardamine concatenata and Claytonia virginica
Global warming is gradually affecting the local climate causing pollinators and plants to change their emergence and flowering times. This can potentially cause a phenology mismatch between pollinator activity and open flowers leading to limitation in seed production in plants. However, other factors such as intense predation or competition can also shift phenology. As part of a preliminary study exploring the mechanisms of phenology mismatch, Cardamine concatenata and Claytonia virginica, were observed to determine if there is a phenology shift due to competition with an invasive plant that flowers early and overlaps these two native species. In early spring, we chose invasive and non-invasive sites in Cherokee Park, in Louisville, Kentucky based on the presence of the invasive species, Ficaria verna. Data was taken from five permanently marked, 1-meter by 1-meter plots at each site. Plots were checked twice a week for open flowers of Cardamine concatenata and Claytonia virginica throughout the flowering time of each species. At each sampling, we examined pollinator activity and local environmental factors, such as soil pH, soil moisture, light, and temperature. At each sampling, the number of open flowers was counted and recorded. The plots were also observed for fifteen minutes, recording all pollinator species visiting the two flowering species of interest. Preliminary analysis of our research results indicated that Cardamine concatenata and Claytonia virginica illustrated different responses in invasive sites compared to non-invasive sites. Cardamine concatenata consistently showed a higher number of open flowers in non-invasive sites. Opposingly, Claytonia virginica showed a high number of open flowers in both invasive and non-invasive sites. Sun exposure co-factor showed direct correlation with increased number of open flowers of both native, early spring species. More study is needed, but the differences in flower abundance and flowering time may be due to the invasive species, Ficaria verna, competing with Cardamine concatenata for pollinators. Future analysis may include observing the competition activity of the invasive species, Ficaria verna to the native species, Cardamine concatenata and Claytonia virginica and their relevance to global warming.
Comments
Nada Elgousi and Jeffery Masters; University of Louisville, Department of Biology