Plant Dispersal in Heterogeneous Environments
Following the trajectory of an invasion from its beginning provides important insight into dispersal and spread.
Localized dispersal of M. vimineum is several orders of magnitude too small to account for large-scale invasion patterns.
Conyza canadensis is a broadleaf weed resistant to a common agricultural herbicide and spreading throughout the eastern US. The quantity of seed leaving a source population is measured with towers and radio-controlled airplanes.
Using data from a four-year experiment following new Microstegium invasions, we estimated dispersal and reproductive parameters from the data by using maximum likelihood techniques to parameterize spatial models of Microstegium spread.
We are also interested in applying our data to predictive models about spread.
Outreach activities as a result of this project.
The investigators involved in this project.