​​​​​​Riparian zones are transitional corridors along rivers and streams. They are vital for maintaining the health and resilience of local watersheds, performing services such as pollutant filtering and soil stabilization. In the Susquehanna River watershed, riparian areas are increasingly threatened from invasive plants including Japanese knotweed (Reynoutria japonica), an aggressive species that forms dense monocultures. This project studies how Japanese knotweed affects plant succession in riparian areas and if native species are capable of surviving and thriving within or alongside knotweed stands. 

 

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Some native plant species produce allelopathic chemicals that can influence survival, germination, development, and reproduction in the neighboring native plant species with which they compete. Allelopathy, in general, is an under investigated topic, but it may have the potential to combat invasive plants as a form of biocontrol. This project involves investigating how invasive plants respond in terms of survival, germination, development, and reproduction when exposed to leachates and leaf litter from native allelopathic plant species. 

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Microplastics (MPs) are formed from the physical breakdown of larger plastics and have been found across many ecosystems. They are considered an emerging contaminant in both terrestrial and aquatic environments. Pharmaceuticals, human and veterinary-derived drugs and their metabolites, are also recognized as an emerging pollutant threat, particularly in aquatic ecosystems. This project explores the impact of emerging pollutants alone and in combination on soil characteristics and the survival, growth, and development of plant species. ​​​​