Disciplines
Biology | Ecology and Evolutionary Biology | Forest Sciences | Plant Sciences
Abstract (300 words maximum)
English Ivy (Hedera helix L.) is a common invasive plant causing biodiversity losses across the southeast and parts of the northwestern US. The mechanisms by which Ivy invades native ecosystems are not well understood but may include allelopathy, a process through which one species produces biochemicals that disrupt competitors. These biochemicals are often produced and exuded by roots into soil, making them difficult to isolate. This study used a soil-less hydroponic system and gas-chromatography mass spectroscopy to examine differences in the chemicals produced by roots of native Georgia plants and English Ivy. Our results suggest there are differences in the diversity and abundance of root exudates produced by English Ivy compared to the exudates produced by the natives of Georgia’s forests.
Academic department under which the project should be listed
CSM - Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology
Primary Investigator (PI) Name
Dr. Matthew P. Weand
Included in
Biology Commons, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Commons, Forest Sciences Commons, Plant Sciences Commons
Comparing Allelochemicals of English Ivy and Native Georgia Plants
English Ivy (Hedera helix L.) is a common invasive plant causing biodiversity losses across the southeast and parts of the northwestern US. The mechanisms by which Ivy invades native ecosystems are not well understood but may include allelopathy, a process through which one species produces biochemicals that disrupt competitors. These biochemicals are often produced and exuded by roots into soil, making them difficult to isolate. This study used a soil-less hydroponic system and gas-chromatography mass spectroscopy to examine differences in the chemicals produced by roots of native Georgia plants and English Ivy. Our results suggest there are differences in the diversity and abundance of root exudates produced by English Ivy compared to the exudates produced by the natives of Georgia’s forests.