PhD Oral Defense: Effect of heavy metals on establishment of common ragweed (Ambrosia artemisiifolia L.) and ground cover legumes in roadside edges
PhD Oral Defense of Jichul Bae, Department of Plant Science
Dense monocultures of Ambrosia artemisiifolia frequently occupy pavement edges of major roadways and highways in southern Québec, Canada, which has led to unsuccessful turf-recruitment and poor establishment of the current supplement ground cover (i.e. Trifolium species). Due to its adverse impacts on agroeconomy and public health, understanding ecological cause(s) of A. artemisiifolia establishment along roadside edges will help us to control this problematic weed and prevent its dispersal into nearby agricultural and urban areas. Surface soils adjacent to major roads and highways commonly contain heavy metals at phytotoxic levels. We hypothesized that during early establishment stage higher metal tolerance of A. artemisiifolia than the current cover legume (Trifolium spp.) may cause its successful establishment along roadside edges.