Document Type

Project

Publication Date

Fall 12-15-2017

Keywords

Mycorrhiza, arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, mycorrhizal growth response, light availability, greenhouse, Centaurea stoebe

Abstract

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) form mycorrhizae, a common, well-studied symbiotic relationship. Controls on the magnitude and direction of plant mycorrhizal growth response (MGR) remain obscured. Specifically, the influence of light availability in the MGR of an invasive forb, spotted knapweed Centaurea stoebe, has not been studied. Greenhouse studies exploring the growth response of knapweed to arbuscular mycorrhizae (AM) often fail to report light intensity levels, which could impact the quality of their data. I conducted a greenhouse experiment studying the MGR in spotted knapweed under shaded and unshaded conditions, designed to approximate light availability in ambient greenhouse and full-sun conditions, respectively. I found that AMF decreased biomass of plants in unshaded conditions, but had no effect under shaded conditions. I suggest possible explanations for the observed negative MGR and conclude that light availability affects the MGR of spotted knapweed.

Department

Environmental Sciences

Subjects - Topical (LCSH)

Spotted knapweed----Reproduction--Effect of light on; Mycorrhizal fungi--Growth

Genre/Form

student projects; term papers

Type

Text

Rights

Copying of this document in whole or in part is allowable only for scholarly purposes. It is understood, however, that any copying or publication of this document for commercial purposes, or for financial gain, shall not be allowed without the author’s written permission.

Rights Statement

http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

Language

English

Format

application/pdf

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