PLANT INVASION SYNDROMES AND SOUTH DAKOTA GRASSLANDS

• Sponsoring Institution: National Institute of Food and Agriculture
• Project Status: COMPLETE
• Funding Source: HATCH
• Reporting Frequency: Annual
• Accession No.: 0231565
• Project Start Date: Aug 22, 2012
• Project End Date: Sep 30, 2017
• Program Code: [(N/A)]- (N/A)

Recipient Organization
SOUTH DAKOTA STATE UNIVERSITY
PO BOX 2275A
BROOKINGS,SD 57007

Performing Department
Natural Resource Management

Non Technical Summary
Non-native species invasions create ecological and economic impacts. Ecologically, invasive species alter community structure, degrade habitat, and alter ecosystem processes. Beyond ecological impacts, species invasions create economic impacts estimated > $100 billion annually in the US due to the costs to control the invasion, lost livestock and crop production, reduced recreational opportunities, and decreased ecosystem services. The Invasion Triangle is a unified framework for factors that influence species invasion. The Invasion Triangle organizes factors into four groups: invader attributes, site biotic characteristics, site environmental conditions, and external influences. Invader attributes are species traits that affect invasive potential such as competitive ability, phenotypic plasticity, niche construction ability, and phenological niche separation. Site biotic characteristics are intrinsic biological features of a site that influence vulnerability to invasion such as plant diversity and the presence and abundance of pathogens and herbivores. Site environmental conditions are the inherent environmental or physical settings of a site that influence invasibility such as resource availability, temperature, and precipitation regime. Finally, external influences (e.g., disturbance) are transient dynamics generated outside of a site that have the ability to modify the risk of invasion of any given site (Perkins et al. 2011). Further conceptual development of the Invasion Triangle led to Invasion Syndromes. Invasion Syndromes address potential relationships among invader attributes, site biotic characteristics, and site environmental conditions. Invasion syndromes build on the idea that an attribute by which a species invades one site (i.e., a site with relatively low resources) might not confer the same advantage at another site (i.e., a site with relatively high resources). However, attributes that enable a species to invade a site with certain conditions may enable other species to invade other sites with similar conditions (i.e., the same attribute that enables a species to invade high resource high diversity areas in one ecosystem, may enable another species to invade high resource high diversity areas in another ecosystem). Invasion Syndrome hypotheses include: H1- invaders with strong competitive ability may be successful in sites with high diversity, high resource availability, and moderate enemy impact; H2- invaders with strong phenotypic plasticity may be successful in sites with moderate diversity, fluctuating resources, and high enemy impact; H3- invaders with strong niche construction ability may be successful in sites with low biodiversity, low resource availability, and low enemy impact; and finally, H4- invaders that have phenological niche separation from natives may not have to contend with biotic resistance and should be successful wherever the environmental conditions suit their life history (hypotheses are developed in Perkins 2013).

Animal Health Component

(N/A)

Research Effort Categories

Basic

(N/A)

Applied

(N/A)

Developmental

(N/A)

Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)	Subject of Investigation (SOI)	Field of Science (FOS)	Percent
102	0799	1070	40%
121	0110	1070	10%
121	0799	1070	40%
136	0790	1070	10%

Knowledge Area
102 - Soil, Plant, Water, Nutrient Relationships; 136 - Conservation of Biological Diversity; 121 - Management of Range Resources;

Subject Of Investigation
0110 - Soil; 0799 - Rangelands and grasslands, general; 0790 - Rangelands, other;

Field Of Science
1070 - Ecology;

Keywords

invasive plants

non-native species invasion

Goals / Objectives
Objectives: The objective of this project is to simultaneously address conceptual issues in invasion ecology and provide practical information on local ecological problems. Specifically, this project will investigate the validity of Invasion Syndromes by parameterizing invasion triangles for invaders present in South Dakota grasslands and prairies. Individually, each of these objectives can produce publishable units. Combined, these objectives represent a valuable comprehensive examination of invasion using both trait-based and systems approaches. 1.Identify the relative strength of invader attributes (competitive ability, phenotypic plasticity, niche construction, and phenological niche separation) of non-native species of local concern (e.g., B. inermis, P. pratensis, A. stolonifera, and D. glomerata). 2.Assess the biotic resistance of native communities to invasion. 3.Determine the effect of environmental conditions (precipitation, temperature, and site fertility) and external influences (fire occurrence and grazing) on invasion.

Project Methods
The number of invasive species and the variety of invaded sites in South Dakota provide abundant opportunities to investigate Invasion Syndromes. For example, non-native, perennial, cool-season grasses Bromus inermis, Poa pratensis, Agrostis stolonifera, and Dactylis glomerata are all present in South Dakota. However, these grasses have different distributions and abundances (Johnson and Larson 2007). Whereas B. inermis is very widespread and common, P. pratensis is common except in drier areas (sites with lower resource availability), A. stolonifera is present but in cooler, wetter areas (sites with higher resource availability), and D. glomerata is present in South Dakota but not widespread or common (Johnson and Larson 2007). This circumstance allows for examination of attributes that may confer invasive potential to theses non-native plants and identification of the biotic characteristics and environmental conditions of invaded sites. Objective 1 Experimentally created mesocosms will examine invader attributes of competitive ability, phenotypic plasticity, and niche construction. Comparative field surveys will be conducted to examine phenological niche separation between natives and invaders. Experimental mesocosms are pairwise competition arenas wherein natives and invaders are planted together to determine the resulting competitive relationships. To examine niche construction ability, a treatment of soil legacy (soil where the invader has previously grown, the native has previously grown, or soil that has been fallow) will be applied to the mesocosms. A treatment of resource availability will be applied to quantify the phenotypic plasticity of natives and invaders. The mesoscosm experiment should last a minimum of two to three growing seasons. Objective 2 Common garden experiments will be used to examine the biotic resistance of native communities. Plots will be established with a gradient of native species richness and native herbivore abundance. Invaders will be introduced to the plots and their performance monitored. Because of ethical issues with introducing invaders where they are not already present, these common gardens either need to be set-up in areas where the invaders are already present or in a controlled setting (a greenhouse, a growth chamber, or a net hoop house). Objective 3 A combination of comparative field surveys and mechanistic hypothesis-driven experiments will be used to examine the effects of environmental conditions and external influences on invasion. Comparative field surveys are a robust method for determining how past land-use (i.e., grazing intensity), fire history, and climate (temperature and precipitation) affect invasion (similar methods were used in Perkins and Nowak, submitted). The information gathered in these comparative surveys can be used to test mechanistic relationships (for example, how temperature regime and timing of precipitation affects invader performance) in a greenhouse or growth chamber setting. Comparative field surveys should be repeated for multiple years to account for inter-annual variability.

Progress 08/22/12 to 09/30/17

Outputs
Target Audience:Land Managers and ecological restoration practitioners- The information produced in this project will inform land management in regard to invasive species and ecological restoration. This audience was targeted through presentations at international meetings and peer-review publications. Research community- Specifically, I am targeted range scientists, restoration ecologists, and invasion biologists. An understanding of the invasion dynamics of two widespread non-native plants will contribute to basic understanding of the process of biological invasion and to the development of restoration protocols. This audience has been targeted through presentations and peer-review publications. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Emily Ulrich, MS student completed 2014. 49% graduate research assistantship. Learned greenhouse and field experimental methods, performed statistical analysis, developed skills as a teaching assistant, presented at national and international meetings, and published peer-reviewed papers. Ming Stephens, MS student completed 2017. 49% graduate research assistantship. Learned greenhouse and field experimental methods, performed statistical analysis, developed skills as a teaching assistant, presented at national and international meetings, and published peer-reviewed papers. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?These results have been disseminated via 2 published theses, 4 peer-review scientific publications, and presentation at 3 international meetings (Society for Range Management, Ecological Society of America, and the International Converence on Ecology and Management of Alien Plant Invasions). What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Goal 1: Identify the relative strength of invader attributes (competitive ability, phenotypic plasticity, niche construction, and phenological niche separation) of non-native species of local concern is completed. Goal 2: Assess biotic resistance of native communities to invasion is completed. Goal 3: Determine the effect of environmental conditions and external influences on invasion is completed.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Goal 1: Identify the relative strength of invader attributes (competitive ability, phenotypic plasticity, niche construction, and phenological niche separation) of non-native species of local concern (100% accomplished). Quantification of the competitive ability, phenotypic plasticity, niche construction, and phenological niche separation (as priority effects) of Bromus inermis and Poa pratensis have been completed. Competition for resources in limited supply is one of the first interactions an invading species experiences within a recipient native community. The availability of resources can influence plant growth and the intensity of competition. The hypothesis that invasive species are better competitors than native species in the potentially invaded sites is documented for many, but not all, ecosystems. The competitive ability hypothesis states that invasive species can be stronger competitors for limited resources by having a larger competitive effect or interference ability than native species. Bromus inermis demonstrates very high competitive ability against co-occurring species. Competitive ability might be an invader trait that contributes to the invasion of B. inermis. Conversely, Poa pratensis demonstrated very small competitive ability (less than the co-occurring spcies). Therefore, competitive ability might not be an invader attribute that contributes to the invasion of P. pratensis. Phenotypic plasticity refers to the ability of a plant to respond to environmental variation and must provide some benefit (i.e., increased performance) to be 'adaptive' and an attribute that influences invasive potential. This research examined the adaptive phenotypic plasticity of B. inermis and P. pratensis to water availability. Results suggest that invaders B. inermis and P. pratensis did not demonstrate greater phenotypic plasticity than co-occurring natives. Therefore, phenotypic plasticity may not be invader attributes that contribute to the invasion of B. inermis and P. pratensis in our landscape. Niche construction or ecosystem engineering refers to the ability of a species to modify its environment in a manner that influences the performance of itself or other species. Plants modify their soil environment through alteration of soil nutrient availability and changes to the soil microbial community. Often this dynamic is referred to as 'plant-soil feedback' or PSF. This research examined how B. inermis and P. pratensis alter soil nutrients and the soil microbial community. Results suggest that although both species alter soil nutrients and the soil microbial community, these changes do not significantly impact subsequent plant performance. Niche construction may not be an attribute that contributes to their invasion. Phenological niche separation from native species can increase the success of an invasive species. One type of phenological niche separation is priority effects. Priority effects are created when the earlier growth of a species influences establishment, growth, and reproduction of a later growing species. Both B. inermis and P. pratensis benefit from priority. When either B. inermis or P. pratensis are planted before co-occurring natives, they nearly competitively exclude the natives. Therefore, early phenology or priority may be invader attributes that contribute to the invasion of these species. Goal 2: Assess biotic resistance of native communities to invasion (100% accomplished). Biotic resistance refers to the cumulative ability of all resident species on a site to resist invasion. Mechanistically, biotic resistance can arise from species of similar life forms (here, other plants) or from species on other trophic levels (here, herbivores). This research found that native cool-season grass Elymus canadensis has similar competitive ability to B. inermis and more competitive ability than P. pratensis. E. canadensis also demonstrates similar priority effects and phenotypic plasticity to B. inermis and P. pratensis. Based on these results, we might expect that communities that contain E. canadensis might be more resistant to invasion from B. inermis and P. pratensis. This expectation, however, is not in concordance with what is observed on the landscape. Therefore, an experiment was conducted to examine the role of herbivory in the invasion of B. inermis and P. pratensis. Results suggest that E. canadensis suffers significantly higher herbivory by grasshoppers than either B. inermis or P. pratensis. Possibly, due to this herbivory, E. canadensis cannot provide any biotic resistance to invasion in the field. Goal 3: Determine the effect of environmental conditions and external influences on invasion (100% accomplished). Environmental conditions such as water availability and external influences such as fire can influence invasion. We found that invasive B. inermis and P. pratensis do not respond differently than co-occurring natives to variation in water availability. Therefore, changes in water availability are not expected to influence this invasion. Fire, if applied repeatedly, will significantly reduce the cover of invasive B. inermis and P. pratensis and increases the cover of co-occurring native plants. Therefore, changes in the historic fire regime may be expected to impact the vulnerability of a site to invasion. Overall impact: The information produced by this research is a comprehensive evaluation of key traits that influence the invasion of B. inermis and P. pratensis in South Dakota. This evaluation increases our understanding of invasion dynamics. An understanding of the invasion dynamics of two widespread non-native plants will contribute to basic understanding of the process of biological invasion and to the development of restoration protocols.

Publications

• Type: Journal Articles Status: Accepted Year Published: 2018 Citation: Perkins, L. B., and J. R. Bennett. 2018. A field test of commercial soil microbial treatments on native grassland restoration. Restoration Ecology.
• Type: Theses/Dissertations Status: Published Year Published: 2017 Citation: Stephens, M. 2017. Phenotypic Plasticity of Native and Invasive Grasses in Response to Frequency of Moisture Availability. South Dakota State University. Brookings, SD
• Type: Journal Articles Status: Submitted Year Published: 2018 Citation: Stephens, M., E. K. Espeland, and L. B. Perkins. 2018. Applying a model of phenotypic plasticity to describe perennial grass invasion. Plant Ecology
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2014 Citation: Ulrich, E, L. Perkins. 2014. Competitive ability and phenology of Bromus inermis and Poa pratensis in the northern Great Plains. Society for Range Management Annual Meeting, February 12, Orlando, Fl.
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2014 Citation: Perkins, L. and E. Espeland. 2014. Soil Origin influences the potential for plant-soil feedbacks to facilitate plant invasion. Ecological Society of America Annual Meeting, August 14. Sacramento, CA.
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2014 Citation: Ulrich, E, L. Perkins. 2013. Competitive ability and phenology of Bromus inermis and Poa pratensis in the northern Great Plains. Ecological Society of America Annual Meeting, August 14. Sacramento, CA.
• Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2014 Citation: Ulrich, E, L. Perkins. 2014. Bromus inermis and Elymus canadensis but not Poa pratensis demonstrate strong competitive effects and all benefit from priority. Plant Ecology 215:1269-1275
• Type: Theses/Dissertations Status: Published Year Published: 2014 Citation: Ulrich, E. 2014. Competition and phenology of invasive and native grasses in the Northern Great Plains. 2014. South Dakota State University. Brookings, SD
• Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2016 Citation: Perkins, L., and G. Hatfield. 2016. Can commercial soil microbial treatments remediate plantsoil feedbacks to improve restoration seedling performance? Restoration Ecology 24:194-201
• Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2015 Citation: Perkins, L. B., Hatfield, G., and E.K. Espeland. 2015. Invasive grasses consistently create similar plant-soil feedback types in soils collected from geographically distant locations. Journal of Plant Ecology. 9:180-186
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2015 Citation: Stephens M. and L. Perkins. 2015. Phenotypic Plasticity in invasive Bromus inermis and native Elymus canadensis in response to moisture variation. Ecology and Management of Alien Plant Invasions Annual Conference. Sept 22, Waikoloa Village, HI

Progress 10/01/15 to 09/30/16

Outputs
Target Audience:The target audiences for this research are the research community, land managers, and ecological restoration practitioners. Changes/Problems:Four invasive species were included in the original proposal. However, two of those are not common in South Dakota, so I have focused on the species that are widespread (Bromus inermis and Poa pratensis). What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Two graduate students were trained on this project Emily Ulrich, MS student Completed 2014. 49% graduate research assistantship. Learned greenhouse and field experimental methods, performed statistical analysis, developed skills as a teaching assistant, presented at national and international meetings, and published peer-reviewed papers. Ming Stephens, MS student expected 2017. 49% graduate research assistantship. Learned greenhouse and field experimental methods, performed statistical analysis, developed skills as a teaching assistant, presented at national and international meetings, and published peer-reviewed papers. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Land Managers and ecological restoration practitioners- The information produced in this project will inform land management in regard to invasive species and ecological restoration. This audience is targeted by presentations (such as the at the Society for Range Management annual meeting), peer-review publications (in journal such as Restoration Ecology), and outreach publications (such as the South Dakota Grassland Coalition Newsletter). Research community- Specifically I am targeting range scientists, restoration ecologists, and invasion biologists. An understanding of the invasion dynamics of two widespread non-native plants will contribute to basic understanding of the process of biological invasion and to the development of restoration protocols. This audience is targeted by presentations and peer-review publications. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Goal 1: completed Goal 2: Publish the final peer-review paper about this goal. Goal 3: The MS student will complete and defend her thesis and submit one manuscript for peer-review publication. Goal 4: I will finish the synthesis of the information produced by goals 1-3 and submit a peer-review publication in 2017. I will also write and disseminate outreach articles via the South Dakota Grassland Coalition Newsletter (or similar venue).

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? The major objective of this project is to investigate the attributes that contribute to the invasion of Bromus inermis and Poa pratensis in South Dakota. Specific goals include the following: Quantify the competitive ability of B. inermis, P. pratensis, and co-occurring native species. Quantify the niche construction ability of B. inermis, P. pratensis, and co-occurring native species. Quantify the phenotypic plasticity of B. inermis, P. pratensis, and co-occurring native species to soil moisture and texture. Evaluate the relative importance of competitive ability, niche construction, and phenotypic plasticity to the invasive potential of B. inermis and P. pratensis in South Dakota. Goal 1: Quantification of the competitive ability of B. inermis, P. pratensis, along with native (Elymus canadensis) has been completed. Results suggest that P. pratensis has poor competitive effect and response and thus, competitive ability may not be an attribute that contributes to invasion of P. pratensis in South Dakota. Results also suggest that B. inermis has a high competitive ability, thus this may be an attribute that contributes to the invasion of B. inermis in South Dakota. This information is published as a thesis (Ulrich 2014) and a peer-review publication (Ulrich and Perkins 2014); and was presented at two national meetings. Goal 2: Quantification of the niche construction ability of B. inermis, P. pratensis, along with natives is 80% complete. I have run several experiments to examine how B. inermis and P. pratensis change their soil environment, if/how these changes impact subsequent plant performance, and the efficacy of remediation treatments. Results suggest that niche construction may not be an attribute that contributes to the success of these two invasive species. Two peer-review publications have resulted from these experiments (Perkins and Hatfield 2016 and Perkins et al. 2016). I expect one more publication in 2017. Goal 3: Quantification of the phenotypic plasticity of B. inermis and P. pratensis is 60% complete. Greenhouse experiments have been performed to examine how B. inermis, P. pratensis, and co-occurring natives respond to variation in precipitation and soil texture. A MS student (Ming Stephens) is currently analyzing these results and writing her thesis on this experiment. I expect this thesis and associated peer-review publication to be complete in 2017. Preliminary data was presented at a national meeting. Goal 4: Evaluation of the relative importance of competitive ability, niche construction, and phenotypic plasticity to the invasive potential of B. inermis and P. pratensis is 25% complete. This goal is the culmination and synthesis of the previous goals. However, I have performed one additional experiment to bolster this synthesis. A field experiment was performed to evaluate the apparent competition of B. inermis on native species. Results suggest that native grasses (E. canadensis and Nassella viridula) but not P. smithii are impacted by apparent competition with B. inermis. I anticipate this publication to be submitted for peer-review publication in 2017.

Publications

• Type: Journal Articles Status: Under Review Year Published: 2017 Citation: Perkins, L. B. 201X. Native grass seedling response to invasive species soil legacy.
• Type: Journal Articles Status: Submitted Year Published: 2017 Citation: Perkins, L.B., G. Hatfield. 201X. Within-season effects of plants on soil microbial communities.
• Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2016 Citation: Can commercial soil microbial treatments remediate plant-soil feedbacks and improve restoration seedling performance? Restoration Ecology 24:194-201
• Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2016 Citation: Perkins, L.B., G. Hatfield, and E.K. Espeland. 2016. Invasive grasses consistently create similar plant-soil feedback types in soils collected from geographically distant locations. Journal of Plant Ecology 9:180-186

Progress 10/01/14 to 09/30/15

Outputs
Target Audience:The audience for this research include both the scientific community and land managers in the state. Changes/Problems:Because of the abundance of invasive species B. inermis and P. pratensis and the lack of A. stolonifera, and D. glomerata in South Dakota, I have focused the research effort primarily on B. inermis and P. pratensis. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Two master's students have been trained during the course of this project. During training, the students have the opportunity to present at International Professional meetings and publish peer-reviewed journal articles.These opportunities enable the students to develop skills in creating professional presentations, public speaking, and scientific writing. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?During this reporting period, results have been disseminated via peer-review publications and presentations. Peer-review publications Perkins, L. B., & Hatfield, G. (2015). Can commercial soil microbial treatments remediate plant-soil feedbacks to improve restoration seedling performance?. Restoration Ecology. (In press) Perkins, L. B., Hatfield, G., & Espeland, E. K. (2015). Invasive grasses consistently create similar plant-soil feedback types in soils collected from geographically distant locations. Journal of Plant Ecology. (In press) Presentations: Stephens M. and L. Perkins. 2015. Phenotypic Plasticity in invasive Bromus inermis and native Elymus canadensis in response to moisture variation. Ecology and Management of Alien Plant Invasions Annual Conference. July 13,Waikoloa, Hawai'i. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Field experiments and greenhouse experiments are ongoing.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Non-native species invasion create significant ecological and economic impacts. Ecologically, invasive species alter community structure, degrade habitat, and alter ecosystem processes such as nutrient cycling, hydrology, and fire cycles. Specifically, invasive plants in South Dakota have been observed to substantially lower native plant diversity, decrease habitat quality, and reduce forage abundance. Beyond ecological impacts, non-native species invasions create economic impacts estimated to be greater than $100 billion annually in the US due to the costs to control the invasion, lost livestock and crop production, reduced recreational and aesthetic opportunities, and decreased ecosystem services. Many traits have been identified that contribute to an invasive species success. However, not all invasive species express every trait. Identifyingthe trait (or the relative contribution of multiple traits) that drive invasion for a given species will increase our understanding of invasion dynamics, help deter future invasion, and restore current invasions. The aim of this project is to quantify the traits of competitive ability, phonological niche separation (as priority effects), phenotypic plasticity, and niche construction for in the dominant invasive species (Bromus inermis and Poa pratensis) in South Dakota. The impact of this research is to increase our basic understanding of why some species become invasive. This increased basic understanding will allow better management of species invasion and invaded areas, which will, in turn, increase rangeland productivity. Progress to date: Two masters students have been supported on this project. Emily Ulrich completed her MS in 2014. She quantified competitive ability and niche construction of Bromus inermis and Poa pratensis (Objective 1). Currently, master's student Ming Stephens is investigating phenotypic plasticity of B. inermis and P. pratensis. Her experiments are concluded, and data analysis and manuscript preparation are ongoing (Objective 3). Ming Stephen's anticipated finish date is in May 2017. Field experiments have been initiated to examinebiotic resistance toB. inermis and P. pratensis invasion. These experiment will need to run for multiple years to produce reliable data (Objective 2).

Publications

• Type: Journal Articles Status: Accepted Year Published: 2015 Citation: Perkins, L. B., & Hatfield, G. (2015). Can commercial soil microbial treatments remediate plantsoil feedbacks to improve restoration seedling performance?. Restoration Ecology. (In press)
• Type: Journal Articles Status: Accepted Year Published: 2015 Citation: Perkins, L. B., Hatfield, G., & E.K. Espeland. (2015) Invasive grasses consistently create similar plant-soil feedback types in soils collected from geographically distant locations. Journal of Plant Ecology. (In press)
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2015 Citation: Stephens M. and L. Perkins. 2015. Phenotypic Plasticity in invasive Bromus inermis and native Elymus canadensis in response to moisture variation. Ecology and Management of Alien Plant Invasions Annual Conference July 13, Waikoloa, Hawai'i.

Progress 10/01/13 to 09/30/14

Outputs
Target Audience:During the reporting period, information produced by this research as been communicted to the scientific community (through presentation at professional meetings and publication in peer-review literature) and the university community (through a MS defense). Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?A Master's student has been trained. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Results have been disseminated through presentation at professional meetings, peer-review literature, and a public MS defense. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Field experiments have been initiated to examine phenological niche separation among natives, B. inermis and P. pratensis. This experiment will need to run for multiple years to produce reliable data. Greenhouse studies are planned to examine phenotypic plasticity these invaders.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Greenhouse experiments have been conducted to evaluate competitive ability and niche construction by B. inermis and P. pratensis. The results of this research have been presented at the Ecological society of America annual meeting, written up in a Master's Thesis, and published (Bromus inermis and Elymus canadensis but not Poa pratensis demonstrate strong competitive effects and all benefit from priority. E Ulrich, L Perkins - Plant Ecology, 2014). Field experiments have been initiated to examine phenological niche separation among natives, B. inermis and P. pratensis. This experiment will need to run for multiple years to produce reliable data. Greenhouse studies are planned to examine phenotypic plasticity these invaders.

Publications

• Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2014 Citation: Bromus inermis and Elymus canadensis but not Poa pratensis demonstrate strong competitive effects and all benefit from priority. E Ulrich, L Perkins - Plant Ecology, 2014
• Type: Theses/Dissertations Status: Published Year Published: 2014 Citation: Competition and phenology of invasive and native grasses in the Northern Great Plains E. Ulrich. 2014

Progress 10/01/12 to 09/30/13

Outputs
Target Audience: The information generated by this project will contribute to both the science of ecology and invasion biology andto local and regional land management. Changes/Problems: Our research has primary focused on the two major invasive grasses in the Northern Great Plains, Bromus inermis and Poa pratensis. I have dropped the focus on Dactylis glomerata and A grostis stolonifera. These species are not an issue here. I belive that time and resources would better be utilized focusing strictly on B. inermis and P. pratensis. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? One Master's level student has been funded with this project. She has had the opportunity to conduct research, contribute to teaching, and present at national meetings. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? Although research is not yet completed, we have begun to present information at National meetings. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? Further field and greenhouse studies are planned. Currently, a greenhouse study is ongoing. A new MS level student is planned for.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? A common garden and a green house experiment have been completed. These experiments haveaddressed both competitive ability and phenological niche seperation of P. pratensis and B. inermis. Results have been presented at the Ecological Socitey of America annual meeting. Research is ongoing focusing on phenotypic plasticity and niche construction.

Publications

• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2013 Citation: 8. Ulrich, E, L. Perkins. 2013. Phenotypic plasticity response of Great Plains grasses to environmental stress. Ecological Society of America, Annual Meeting

Progress 08/22/12 to 09/30/12

Outputs
Target Audience: Nothing Reported Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? Nothing Reported How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? Results have been presented at national meetings. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? Research will continue. Experiments that have been completed will be submitted for peer-review publication.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Greenhouse experiments have been conducted to evaluate competitive ability and niche construction by B. inermis and P. pratensis. The results of this research have been presented at the Ecological society of America annual meeting and are being written up in a Master’s Thesis. These results need to validated by field experimentation. Field experiments have been initiated to examine phenological niche separation among natives, B. inermis and P. pratensis. This experiment will need to run for multiple years to produce reliable data. Greenhouse studies are planned to examine phenotypic plasticity these invaders.

Publications

• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2013 Citation: 1) Phenotypic plasticity response of Great Plains grasses to environmental stress. Ecological Society of America Annual Meeting 2013 2) Soil Origin influences the potential for plant-soil feedbacks to facilitate plant invasion. Ecological Society of America Annual Meeting 2013