{"id":{"repo_id":"guelph","oai_identifier":"oai:atrium.lib.uoguelph.ca:10214/28659"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/guelph/oai:atrium.lib.uoguelph.ca:10214/28659","repository":{"repo_id":"guelph","name":"University of Guelph","base_url":"https://atrium.lib.uoguelph.ca/server/oai/request"},"display":{"title":"The Role of Leaf Out Timing and Vinca Minor Invasion on a Deciduous Understory Plant Community","abstract":"Exotic plant invasions threaten biodiversity and ecosystem health. This thesis investigates the effects of the invasive plant Vinca minor on the forest plant community composition under current and future climate scenarios. Field surveys at a longstanding invasion revealed that Vinca minor reduces plant diversity and alters plant community composition while increasing soil sulfur and calcium levels. To assess current and future impacts, a mesocosm experiment simulated leaf-out times expected under climate change, employing shade and Vinca minor invasion treatments. Results suggest shade and invasion levels did not alter plant community composition or diversity. However, they impacted the growth of specific species. Notably, the presence of Vinca minor had no impact on natives Fallopia cilinodis and Acer spp. but benefited the invasive Galeopsis tetrahit. These studies suggest that Vinca minor can reduce native plant diversity and may differently affect native and exotic plants, with impacts potentially changing as climate conditions evolve.","abstract_html":"Exotic plant invasions threaten biodiversity and ecosystem health. This thesis investigates the effects of the invasive plant Vinca minor on the forest plant community composition under current and future climate scenarios. Field surveys at a longstanding invasion revealed that Vinca minor reduces plant diversity and alters plant community composition while increasing soil sulfur and calcium levels. To assess current and future impacts, a mesocosm experiment simulated leaf-out times expected under climate change, employing shade and Vinca minor invasion treatments. Results suggest shade and invasion levels did not alter plant community composition or diversity. However, they impacted the growth of specific species. Notably, the presence of Vinca minor had no impact on natives Fallopia cilinodis and Acer spp. but benefited the invasive Galeopsis tetrahit. These studies suggest that Vinca minor can reduce native plant diversity and may differently affect native and exotic plants, with impacts potentially changing as climate conditions evolve.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Karhi, Katja"],"institution":"University of Guelph","degree_name":null,"degree_level":null,"degree_discipline":null,"degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":["Dunfield, Kari","Antunes, Pedro"],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":null,"date_issued":"","date_published":null,"updated_at":"2026-08-21T16:45:04Z","subjects":["Plant Invasion","Vinca Minor","Climate Change","Leaf Phenology"],"languages":["en"],"rights":["Attribution 4.0 International"],"rights_urls":["http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://hdl.handle.net/10214/28659","outbound_label":"Handle","outbound_source":"dc:identifier.uri"},"source_record":{"url":"https://atrium.lib.uoguelph.ca/server/oai/request?verb=GetRecord&metadataPrefix=dim&identifier=oai%3Aatrium.lib.uoguelph.ca%3A10214%2F28659","prefix":"dim"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor.advisor","label":"Advisor","values":["Dunfield, Kari","Antunes, Pedro"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Karhi, Katja"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.accessioned","label":"Dc Date Accessioned","values":["2024-09-13T16:42:12Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2024-09-13T16:42:12Z"]},{"key":"dc:publisher","label":"Institution","values":["University of Guelph"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Thesis"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Plant Invasion","Vinca Minor","Climate Change","Leaf Phenology"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:language.iso","label":"Language (ISO)","values":["en"]},{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["Attribution 4.0 International"]},{"key":"dc:rights.uri","label":"Rights URI","values":["http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.uri","label":"Identifier URI","values":["https://hdl.handle.net/10214/28659"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["Exotic plant invasions threaten biodiversity and ecosystem health. This thesis investigates the effects of the invasive plant Vinca minor on the forest plant community composition under current and future climate scenarios. Field surveys at a longstanding invasion revealed that Vinca minor reduces plant diversity and alters plant community composition while increasing soil sulfur and calcium levels. To assess current and future impacts, a mesocosm experiment simulated leaf-out times expected under climate change, employing shade and Vinca minor invasion treatments. Results suggest shade and invasion levels did not alter plant community composition or diversity. However, they impacted the growth of specific species. Notably, the presence of Vinca minor had no impact on natives Fallopia cilinodis and Acer spp. but benefited the invasive Galeopsis tetrahit. These studies suggest that Vinca minor can reduce native plant diversity and may differently affect native and exotic plants, with impacts potentially changing as climate conditions evolve."]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["The Role of Leaf Out Timing and Vinca Minor Invasion on a Deciduous Understory Plant Community"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor.advisor":["Dunfield, Kari","Antunes, Pedro"],"dc:creator":["Karhi, Katja"],"dc:date.accessioned":["2024-09-13T16:42:12Z"],"dc:date.available":["2024-09-13T16:42:12Z"],"dc:description.abstract":["Exotic plant invasions threaten biodiversity and ecosystem health. This thesis investigates the effects of the invasive plant Vinca minor on the forest plant community composition under current and future climate scenarios. Field surveys at a longstanding invasion revealed that Vinca minor reduces plant diversity and alters plant community composition while increasing soil sulfur and calcium levels. To assess current and future impacts, a mesocosm experiment simulated leaf-out times expected under climate change, employing shade and Vinca minor invasion treatments. Results suggest shade and invasion levels did not alter plant community composition or diversity. However, they impacted the growth of specific species. Notably, the presence of Vinca minor had no impact on natives Fallopia cilinodis and Acer spp. but benefited the invasive Galeopsis tetrahit. These studies suggest that Vinca minor can reduce native plant diversity and may differently affect native and exotic plants, with impacts potentially changing as climate conditions evolve."],"dc:identifier.uri":["https://hdl.handle.net/10214/28659"],"dc:language.iso":["en"],"dc:publisher":["University of Guelph"],"dc:rights":["Attribution 4.0 International"],"dc:rights.uri":["http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"],"dc:subject":["Plant Invasion","Vinca Minor","Climate Change","Leaf Phenology"],"dc:title":["The Role of Leaf Out Timing and Vinca Minor Invasion on a Deciduous Understory Plant Community"],"dc:type":["Thesis"]},"updated_at":"2026-08-21T16:45:04Z"}