| Abstract Detail
Physiology Jackson, Michelle [1], Stinson, Kristina [2]. Garlic mustard and global change: investigating potential impacts on the growth and development of Alliaria petiolata seedlings to altered abiotic conditions predicted under future climate scenarios. Long-term ecological impacts on native plant and fungal mutualisms have become clearly associated with the rapid range expansion of the invasive biennial forb, Alliaria petiolata (garlic mustard), especially throughout New England forest ecosystems. A combination of high propagule pressure and the production of phytochemicals such as the glucosinolate sinigrin, have been identified as facilitating the ongoing invasion of this species. Contemporary research investigating garlic mustard physiology in the context of predicted environmental shifts under global change scenarios, suggests the potential for even further expansion of this species’ geographic range. Although alterations in abiotic conditions associated with climate change have been proposed as factors contributing to garlic mustard range expansion, there have been limited studies directly measuring trait responses of garlic mustard to global change parameters. There is a distinct gap in the current literature regarding how the combination of multiple global change parameters may impact the production of sinigrin across all life stages (both seedling and adult) of garlic mustard. Additionally, it is unclear how the unique combination of soil warming (hereafter SW), and increased available nitrogen (hereafter N) specifically, may impact the growth and development of garlic mustard. Using a combination of field-based measurements and plant chemistry analyses, we sought to better comprehend and quantify garlic mustard trait responses to SW + N to address the questions: Does exposure to increased SW + N conditions impact the growth and development of garlic mustard seedlings? Specifically, do these conditions alter sinigrin production and leaf number/size in garlic mustard seedlings? Garlic mustard seedlings were collected from three sites with varying mean annual temperatures across Massachusetts and were transplanted into trays arranged within a lath house at the Harvard Forest. Using seedling warming mats and a nitrate solution, we created 4 treatments (a control, increased SW conditions, increased N conditions, and a combination of increased SW + N conditions) with ~60 seedlings per treatment. By collecting data on seedling leaf size and number, as well as calculating the concentration of sinigrin present in seedlings across treatments using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), we are starting to improve our understanding garlic mustard trait responses to these important global change parameters.
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1 - University of Massachusetts Amherst, Graduate Program in Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Amherst, MA, 01003
2 - 160 Holdsworth Way, Environmental Conservation, Amherst, MA, 01003, United States
Keywords:
invasive plants
garlic mustard
climate change
Physiology.
Presentation Type: Poster
Session: P3, Physiology Posters
Location: Virtual/Virtual
Date: Wednesday, July 21st, 2021
Time: 5:00 PM(EDT)
Number: P3PS004
Abstract ID:400
Candidate for Awards:Physiological Section Physiological Section Li-COR Prize |
