Submission Type
Poster
Abstract
Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) associate with 80% of vascular plant roots and are an important part of nutrient exchange. Our research quantified the relationship between (AMF) and native Pasture Thistle (Cirsium discolor) and invasive Canada Thistle (Cirsium arvense). We hypothesized that Pasture Thistle would have a stronger relationship with AMF than Canada Thistle because of the degraded mutualism hypothesis, which states that invasive species have reduced relationships with AMF. For our experiment, we grew inoculated and non-inoculated plants at 10 different levels of soil phosphorus concentrations. Pasture Thistle and Canada Thistle were both facultatively dependent upon AMF, meaning that they could grow without AMF at increased phosphorus levels. Pasture Thistle was more responsive to AMF than Canada Thistle, meaning inoculated plants had more growth than non-inoculated plants. In support of our hypothesis, Canada Thistle was not responsive to AMF. This information could help counter Canada Thistle’s invasion.
Included in
Other Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Commons, Other Plant Sciences Commons, Plant Biology Commons, Weed Science Commons
Quantifying the Relationship Between Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi and a Native and Invasive Thistle
Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) associate with 80% of vascular plant roots and are an important part of nutrient exchange. Our research quantified the relationship between (AMF) and native Pasture Thistle (Cirsium discolor) and invasive Canada Thistle (Cirsium arvense). We hypothesized that Pasture Thistle would have a stronger relationship with AMF than Canada Thistle because of the degraded mutualism hypothesis, which states that invasive species have reduced relationships with AMF. For our experiment, we grew inoculated and non-inoculated plants at 10 different levels of soil phosphorus concentrations. Pasture Thistle and Canada Thistle were both facultatively dependent upon AMF, meaning that they could grow without AMF at increased phosphorus levels. Pasture Thistle was more responsive to AMF than Canada Thistle, meaning inoculated plants had more growth than non-inoculated plants. In support of our hypothesis, Canada Thistle was not responsive to AMF. This information could help counter Canada Thistle’s invasion.
Comments
jweremijewicz@noctrl.edu, Joanna Weremijewicz,North Central College