Degree Name
MS (Master of Science)
Program
Biology
Date of Award
12-2018
Committee Chair or Co-Chairs
Gerardo Arceo-Gomez
Committee Members
Timothy McDowell, Darrell Moore
Abstract
Invasive plants can alter pollination dynamics in invaded communities by disrupting patterns of pollinator visitation, pollen transfer dynamics (conspecific [CP] and heterospecific [HP]), and reproductive success. The direction of invasive effects (competitive, neutral, and facilitative) may be partially determined by spatial scale and species’ floral traits. Here, we investigated pollinator visitation, CP and HP receipt, and pollen tube growth for species in a C. arvense present community and non-present community at two scales. At the community-level, the effect of C. arvense on pollinator visitation varied among species. Floral symmetry seemed to explain this variation. At the floral neighborhood-level, we found competitive effects for pollinator visits and mixed effects on CP deposition. The overall structure of plant-plant HP deposition networks was slightly altered. We observed lower average centrality across shared species in the C. arvense present community suggesting C. arvense had subverted their roles as pollen donors.
Document Type
Thesis - unrestricted
Recommended Citation
Daniels, Jesse, "Direct and Indirect Effects of Invasive Cirsium arvense on Pollination in Southern Appalachian Floral Communities" (2018). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. Paper 3503. https://dc.etsu.edu/etd/3503
Copyright
Copyright by the authors.