Growth of Bird Vetch (Vicia cracca) with Varying Moisture and Competition Levels

Overview

Bird Vetch (Vicia cracca ) is an invasive species in the interior of Alaska. We conducted a greenhouse experiment at UAF, to determine how moisture conditions and competition levels affect vetch growth. We grew bird vetch in 120 pots with vetch seeds in varying conditions, assigned either high or low moisture conditions with one, two, or three plants in each pot. We measured the differences in the number of nodules produced, shoot length and the number of branches below two centimeters. We found that the number of root nodules declined with competition, but not with soil moisture. Branches per plant declined with competition as well. The length of the shoot was not dependent on either moisture or competition. Soil moisture had a larger impact on vetch, these results will be beneficial in determining where vetch will grow in abundance and how it reacts to changing soil temperatures and the competition levels around the invasive species.

Competition history

• JSHS 2020 Category not listed

Resources

• National JSHS abstract book ↗

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