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INVESTIGATING THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CHINESE PRIVET, SOIL ORGANIC CARBON, AND PHYSICAL SITE CHARACTERISTICS

Abstract

Chinese privet (Ligustrum sinense) is an invasive shrub that is currently widespread in the Southeastern United States. Studies have shown that Chinese privet litter decomposes faster than native plant litter. This has the potential to influence the cycling of nutrients such as nitrogen and carbon especially as its abundance continues to increase. The goal of this study was to determine whether the presence of Chinese privet could influence the concentration of soil organic carbon and its relation to site characteristics. The study was done in fall 2022 at Andalusia farm in Milledgeville GA where the basal diameters of shrubs were measured in the field while site characteristics were obtained using GIS data. Ten soils samples were collected at 0–5 cm, 5–10 cm, and 10–20 cm depths from sites with heavy Chinese privet invasion and ten more at similar depths from forest sites with no Chinese privet. The samples were analyzed for organic carbon using the loss-on-ignition method. We used regression analysis to compare shrub size with site characteristics and one-way ANOVA to compare mean percent soil organic carbon. Preliminary findings show a positive correlation between shrub size and elevation as well as distance from streams. Results also show significantly higher percent soil organic carbon in soils from uninvaded sites at all depths than in soils under heavy Chinese privet invasion. This implies that less carbon is sequestered in the soils when under prolonged invasion by this shrub.

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