Non-native plant occurrence and human disturbance at freshwater springs in Alberta, Canada

Simple item page
dc.contributor.authorNielson, Kayleigh
dc.contributor.supervisorRood, Stewart
dc.date.accessioned2018-01-18T17:55:39Z
dc.date.available2018-01-18T17:55:39Z
dc.date.issued2017
dc.degree.levelMastersen_US
dc.description.abstractThis thesis investigates the factors that affect non-native plant occurrence at freshwater springs in southern Alberta, Canada, with special focus on the effect of human disturbance, and the life history traits of commonly-occurring native and non-native plant taxa. Non-native species richness and abundance were higher at springs with greater human disturbance, and at springs within regions of the province that support greater land use relative to livestock grazing. Non-metric multidimensional scaling demonstrated that commonly-occurring non-native plant taxa were associated with springs that experienced greater human disturbance. Autecological investigation revealed that both native and non-native plant taxa commonly exhibited life history traits that confer greater tolerance to various types of disturbance, including grazing. Overall, these results demonstrate that springs ecosystems that experience greater human disturbance are vulnerable to invasion by non-native plants, which could reduce biodiversity and ecosystem services provided by these distinctive, insular ecosystems.en_US
dc.embargoNoen_US
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/10133/4997
dc.language.isoen_USen_US
dc.proquest.subject0329, 0309en_US
dc.proquestyesYesen_US
dc.publisherLethbridge, Alta. : University of Lethbridge, Dept. of Biological Sciencesen_US
dc.publisher.departmentDepartment of Biological Sciencesen_US
dc.publisher.facultyArts and Scienceen_US
dc.relation.ispartofseriesThesis (University of Lethbridge. Faculty of Arts and Science)en_US
dc.subjectbiodiversityen_US
dc.subjectecosystemsen_US
dc.subjectnative plantsen_US
dc.subjectnon-native plantsen_US
dc.titleNon-native plant occurrence and human disturbance at freshwater springs in Alberta, Canadaen_US
dc.typeThesisen_US
Files
Original bundle
Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
Thumbnail Image
Name:
NIELSON_KAYLEIGH_MSC_2017.pdf
Size:
849.84 KB
Format:
Adobe Portable Document Format
Description:
Kayleigh Nielson MSc Thesis
Download
License bundle
Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
Thumbnail Image
Name:
license.txt
Size:
3.25 KB
Format:
Item-specific license agreed upon to submission
Description:
Download
Collections
Arts and Science, Faculty of
University of Lethbridge Theses