2011 current research projects
- Title
- Understanding and controlling invasions: comparing plant-soil feedbacks of invasive annual grasses in California with their Mediterranean origins
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Sciences), Edith Allen (UCR , Botany & Plant: Authors
- Description
- This research falls under the Sustainable Natural Ecosystems Initiative , with a focus on altered ecosystem services due to invasive species and control of invasive species . The study has implications for conservation of biodiversity , which is negatively impacted by invasive species . Project Summary : Invasive plants are detrimental to ecosystem services and they reduce biodiversity as described in the Strategic Natural Ecosystems Initiative , and the proposed research addresses the Strategic Initiative 2025 by “ Increase [ ing ] the knowledge of invasion biology to better assess risk , prediction , and intervention . ” The long - term objective of the proposed research is to understand soil and rhizosphere controls on the abundance of three invasive grass species in California , Bromus madritensis ssp . rubens , B . rubens ( both commonly called red brome ) and Taeniatherum caput - medusae ( medusahead ) that have sparse productivity in their Mediterranean origins . An understanding of how they are naturally controlled in their native habitats may be used to help control them in California . The specific controls are based on the “ enemy release hypothesis ” that states that invasive species experience increased productivity when they leave their predators and pathogens behind . The long - term goals of this work include studies on functional responses of plants to soil microorganisms from native and invaded habitats . A number of hypotheses have been explored to study t