Factors limiting the success of invasive glossy buckthorn (Frangula alnus) in New Hampshire’s eastern white pine – hardwood forests

Abstract

not have been able to get off the ground. First, I would like to thank my thesis advisor, Dr. Thomas Lee, for his invaluable insight, guidance, and motivation throughout both this project and my graduate career. It was through Dr. Lee's passion for the environment that I cultivated mine further, and I couldn't be more grateful. I would also like to thank my committee members, Dr. Mark Ducey and Michael Simmons, for the level of effort they provided for this project. Their assistance allowed for me to develop this project into one that I am proud to have completed. There is not enough praise that I could give to my research assistants, Hannah McCarthy and Riley Bibaud, to account for my level of appreciation for them. Their devotion to this research and their drive in the field was unmatched, and I couldn't have asked for a stronger team. It was because of their positive energy that the field season was a success. I would also like to thank Jenna O'del for her assistance in the field and Nick Warren for his generosity in lending drying ovens. I am also grateful to Steve Eisenhaure for his assistance throughout the summer by providing accessibility to my sites. I would like to thank Suzanne Hebert, Thomas Buob, and Hailee Whitesel for their handling of my many soil samples.

Spatial Patterns of Frangula alnus (Rosales: Rhamnaceae): Implications for Invasive Plant Management

“…Future studies may seek to quantify this difference, with the importance being that if these individuals are not reproductive, they would be less of a threat and therefore less of a priority for treatment. It should be noted that the distribution of a plant is reliant not only on local environmental factors such as soil nutrient conditions and climate [7,9] but also on the species' vegetative spread and seed dispersal methods. The seeds of F. alnus are typically bird-distributed, and it is reasonable to believe that a bird could travel between all four sites with the fruit; this would suggest correlations of both the genetics and the distribution of F. alnus between sites.…”

“…Multiple factors contribute to the success of F. alnus in North America [7][8][9]. It appears to lack the natural herbivores that it experienced in Europe.…”

Prioritizing Invasive Forest Plant Management Using Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis in Minnesota, USA

“…The overall priority level was generally lower across species within the Laurentian Mixed Forest province, with the exception of F. alnus, which demonstrated a high amount of High priority area (Figure 3). The Laurentian Mixed Forest province is heavily forested, and the relatively large amount of High and Medium priority area for F. alnus and, to a lesser extent, R. cathartica likely reflects the potential economic benefit of managing these two species, as they are known to impact the growth and survival of native tree species [27][28][29] and have been associated with lower overall forest biomass [30] and regenerating seedling density [31][32][33].…”