Project Number: 1907-22620-003-01
Project Type: Specific Cooperative Agreement

Start Date: Jul 01, 2005
End Date: May 31, 2010

Objective:
Determine the growth, vegetative expansion, and seedling recruitment for black and pale swallow-wort growing in several representative sites in NY State, and assess the effects of soil type, pH, soil depth, drainage and competition from herbaceous vegetation on the performance of the two swallow-wort species.

Approach:
Individual plants of pale and black swallow-wort will be tagged at selected field sites and various growth and reproductive parameters will be quantified periodically over three years. Permanent quadrats also will be established at the same field sites to quantify the seasonal recruitment and survival of swallow-wort seedlings. Two soil types, from areas dominated by pale and black swallow-wort, will be placed in pots and the pH adjusted to one of three different pH conditions. Separately, different combinations of soil depth, drainage and interspecific plant competition also will be established in pots. Each swallow-wort species will be planted in the different soil/competition treatment combinations and assessed for survival and various growth and reproductive parameters.