Science University Research Symposium (SURS)
Publication Date
Fall 11-25-2024
College
Sciences and Mathematics, College of
Department
Biology, Department of
SURS Faculty Advisor
Darlene Panvini
Presentation Type
Poster Presentation
Abstract
Decomposition rates are important in measuring the health of an ecosystem. They can indicate the rate at which nutrients cycle through the habitat. However, not all leaves will decompose at the same rate, which impacts the rate at which nutrients can be recycled. The introduction of non-native species may bring about changes to the native nutrient cycle, as these plants may have a different rate of decomposition than those of native species. This can affect the amount of nutrients available in the soil surrounding native and non-native plant species, which in turn affect other native species. Using two species of plants, one native and one non-native, rates of decomposition were measured and compared. Dried specimens of Cosmos "); border-bottom: 1px solid transparent; background-size: 5px; letter-spacing: 0px; white-space-collapse: preserve; background-color: rgb(245, 245, 245); font-style: italic; font-size: 18.0001pt; font-family: "Times New Roman", "Times New Roman_EmbeddedFont", "Times New Roman_MSFontService", serif; font-kerning: none; line-height: 15px; vertical-align: 0.176185px;">sulphureus (Sulfur Cosmos) and Acalypha rhomboidei (Virginia Three-Seed) were placed on a green roof for a varying number of weeks. Each species received a pair of 4 bags, equaling eight for each species, and sixteen in total. Bags were weighed before and after being placed on the green roof, "); border-bottom: 1px solid transparent; background-size: 3px; vertical-align: -0.176185px; line-height: 0px; position: relative;">in order to measure mass lost to decomposition. The goal was to measure if there was a significant difference between the rates of decomposition between the native and non-native species. The results indicate that there is no significant difference in the decomposition rates of the native and non-native species.
Recommended Citation
Loftis, Jonathan R.; Hoskinson, Todd; Palumbo, Gabi; Roufail, Marven; and Panvini, Darlene, "Decomposition Rates of Introduced C. sulphureus vs. Native A. rhomboidei " (2024). Science University Research Symposium (SURS). 188.
https://repository.belmont.edu/surs/188
