Grant: Discovery Grants Program - Individual

Conservation of biodiversity depends on understanding the mechanisms that determine species richness and their relative abundances. The basic scientific question on which this Discovery Grant is based is why do some plant species become invasive? Different theories have been proposed to explain the mechanisms of plant coexistence and invasion, however, research suggests that these do not explain why some plant species become invasive. In addition, they largely ignore the roles of the soil biota. A large part of a plant is its root system which grows in soil, a matrix that serves as habitat for a myriad of organisms, many of which interacting with plants. This proposal focuses on the outcomes of these interactions, particularly on identifying the role of equilibriums between beneficial and damaging interactions and the extent to which the role of the former is to keep the latter at bay. It is predicted that the outcomes of these interactions vary depending on plant traits, ultimately determining a species relative abundance and capacity to become invasive. The proposed research will focus on an old-field community located in the ecologically important transition zone between the deciduous and evergreen forest of Northern Ontario and on beneficial microbial symbioses, which are widespread among plants. A combination of molecular and classical techniques will be used to investigate whether invasive plants receive greater pathogen protection from these symbioses than relative less abundant native plants. The research will have a biogeographical component that focuses on plant-microbial and plant-plant competitive interactions under ""home"" and ""away"" conditions. Moreover it will determine if microbes associated with exotic invasive plants in their home range could also have been introduced in North America. It is expected that the results will significantly increase our understanding of the role of soil-plant-microbe interactions in ecology and their potential to be managed to prevent the loss of biodiversity.