Overview
Topic status: We're looking for students to study this topic.
Invasive plants species form dense populations across large tracts of land. Based on these observations of dominance, invaders are often described as competitively superior, with little direct evidence of competitive interactions with natives. An ongoing study is measuring competitive interactions among an invasive grass and two Australian native grasses that are similar functionally and are widely distributed. Results indicate that under certain conditions native grasses can suppress the invader and vice versa. What is not known is if the native and introduced grasses differ in the rates of seed germination and viability. Such information can provide essential insights for restoration efforts.
This project will attempt to address the following questions:
- Is the prevalence of seeds in the soil correlated with abundance of mature plants?
- Does burial depth and duration have an affect on seed germination and viability?
- Study level
- Honours
- Supervisors
- QUT
- Organisational unit
Science and Engineering Faculty
- Research area
- Contact
- Please contact the supervisor.
Dr Tanya Scharaschkin
Dr Jennifer Firn
