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Research Objective:
Investigate the effects of white sweetclover (Melilotus officinalis) invasion on the pollination of Vaccinium uliginosum and Vaccinium vitis-idaea, and the subsequent effects on berry production
Key Questions:
• Does the presence of Melilotus change the pollen quantity and quality delivered to Vaccinium sp.?
• Does the presence of Melilotus change Vaccinium reproductive success?
• Does the effect of Melilotus on Vaccinium pollination and fruit set change with changes in distance from the infestation?
Method:
- Selected 18 dense Vaccinium sites within the Bonanza Creek Long Term Ecological Research Area.- In 2011, I added 40 Melilotus plants to 11 sites, and kept 6 control sites.-In 2012, I added 40 Melilotus plants to 6 sites, 120 Melilotus plants to 6 sites and kept 6 control sites.
- 125 Focal V. vitis-idaea and 125 V. uliginosum plants were tagged at 5 different distances from the site center (where Melilotus was added in experimental sites). Individual buds and flowers were tracked on focal plants through the growing season to calculate fruit set.
- All berries produced by focal plants were dissected to determine seed production.
- Stigmas were collected from non-focal Vaccinium plants, and pollen quantity and quality were assessed.
Publications and Posters:
Spellman, K.V., L.C. Schneller, C.P.H. Mulder, M.L. Carlson. 2015. Effects of non-native Melilotus albus on pollination and reproduction in two boreal shrubs. Oecologia 179:495-507. DOI: 10.1007/s00442-015-3364-9 [PDF]
Spellman, K.V., C.P.H. Mulder, and M.L. Carlson. 2016. Effects of invasive plant patch size and distance on the pollination and reproduction of native boreal plants. Botany 94: 1151–1160. dx.doi.org/10.1139/cjb-2015-0233 [PDF]
Spellman, K.V., and C.P.H. Mulder. 2016. Validating herbarium-based phenology models using citizen science data. BioScience 66: 897–906. [PDF]
Poster for the Ecological Society of America Conference, Minneapolis, MN
Presentation for the Alaska Invasive Species Conference, Kodiak, AK
Collaborators: Dr. Christa Mulder, Dr. Matthew Carlson, Laura Schneller
Funding: US Department of Agriculture and UAF Resilience and Adaptation Program
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