The Brazilian pepper tree (BP, Schinus terebinthifolius), introduced to the United States
in the 1800s, has since become a category one invasive plant in Florida, aggressively
spreading to 3000 km2 of prime habitat. There is a serious dearth of knowledge on
whether the rhizobiome plays any roles in the displacement of native flora and the range
expansion of BP. This thesis discusses the well-established plant invasion mechanisms of
the BP and highlights key emerging mechanisms and gaps in (a) the current
understanding of the molecular, below-ground processes of BP invasion and (b) studies
on the potential role of microbial interactions in the success of BP invasion already
established for other select invasive species, and the intervention of soil metagenomic
studies to elucidate plant invasive mechanisms. These poorly studied mechanisms could further explain the aggressive spread and resilience of BP and contribute significantly to
the development of effective and sustainable control measures, enabling appropriate
strategies for restoring native plants. / Includes bibliography. / Thesis (M.S.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2016. / FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:fau.edu/oai:fau.digital.flvc.org:fau_33666 |
| Contributors | Dawkins, Karim (author), Esiobu, Nwadiuto (Thesis advisor), Florida Atlantic University (Degree grantor), Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Department of Biological Sciences |
| Publisher | Florida Atlantic University |
| Source Sets | Florida Atlantic University |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation, Text |
| Format | 45 p., application/pdf |
| Rights | Copyright © is held by the author, with permission granted to Florida Atlantic University to digitize, archive and distribute this item for non-profit research and educational purposes. Any reuse of this item in excess of fair use or other copyright exemptions requires permission of the copyright holder., http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/ |
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