Buckthorn Research Paper

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Janella Benitez Math 216 Honors November 28, 2011 Writing Assignment 3 In the article, “The Invasive Shrub European Buckthorn (Rhamus cathartica, L) Alters Soil Properties in Midwestern U.S. Woodlands” demonstrates how invasive shrubs and plants can alter soil properties the can have important conservation in systems. These shrubs can alter the chemical properties in soil such as, nitrogen and carbon. With these alterations, it can impact the chemical properties of the soil as well as effecting other ecosystems around. In the “Introduction” section of the article shows how invasive species can be capable of changing the infrastructure and ecosystem processes of habitats. The species can also be the cause of biodiversity loss of the ecosystems. They are able to use a distinction to determine the processes in which the shrubs affect. The woodlands was covered…show more content…
According to the graph, buckthorn showed higher levels of both nitrogen and carbon in the three different places where they were put. The areas that were invaded by buckthorn had twice the soil percentage of nitrogen (mean, 0.54%) of open areas (0.27%). The greatest increase was in the Morton Arboretum E. in both carbon and nitrogen from the buckthorn. The carbon and nitrogen ratio were different for Lake Avenue Woods and McDonald woods. The mineralization and nitrification was low under buckthorn. In the discussion, they were able to prove that the invasion in the woodlands was identified as a major stressor in the systems. Removing the invasive species can be both a good thing and a bad thing. Removing the invasive species, it can cause a flourish of the native species since the invasive have been taking over the system’s resources. Removing the native species can also damage the system because the system might already get use to the invasive species being there in the

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