Date of Graduation

Fall 2012

Degree

Master of Science in Plant Science (Agriculture)

Department

College of Agriculture

Committee Chair

Pam Trewatha

Abstract

This study analyzes the response of existing populations of the semi-parasitic Aureolaria grandiflora (Benth.) Penn plant to a controlled burn of an Ozark savanna/glade habitat. Established plants within the burn plots increased branch production compared to unburned plots from 2011-2012. Burn plot C received significantly less light intensity than other plots in the study. Analysis indicated an increase in branch count the closer specimens were to their host. A second project was undertaken to better understand the species. Within a greenhouse, collected seed from wild A. grandiflora plants were cold-moist stratified for varying lengths and grown in pots containing three species of Quercus within the white oak group. Seeds which were stratified for thirty or more days had a significantly greater germination percentage and were more vigorous than unstratified seedlings. Germinated seedlings did not show a preference to one or more of the species of oak host present. Fertilizer was used in the study on all developing seedlings and there were no significant differences in terms of vigor between seedlings attached to a host oak and seedlings not attached to a host oak.

Keywords

Aureolaria grandiflora, Ozark County, Missouri, controlled burn, glade, savanna, cold-moist stratification, Quercus alba, Quercus stellata, Quercus muehlenbergii, facultative semiparasite, haustoria

Subject Categories

Plant Sciences

Copyright

© Patrick Lindell Greenwald

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