Do dandelions compete with native plants for pollinator visits?
Abstract
In Gothic Colorado, the invasive common dandelion or Taraxacum officinale has slowly made its way through the meadows and along the road flourishing as people aid in dispersing its seeds as the wind carries them. Due to this, the focus of this study is to determine if dandelions compete with native plants for pollinators. Temporary plots were placed alongside the Stupid Falls Meadow, the Gothic road, the beaver ponds on the 401 trail, Emerald lake, and the Mexican cut. These temporary plots focused on three native species: Pseudocymopterus montanus, Valeriana occidentalis, and Ranunculus glaberrimus. The plots measured 2x meters and three times a week the plots were observed based on the natural phenology of the plots rotating every 5 minutes between plots. Based on a t-test there was no significant difference in visits between Taraxacum officinale and Pseudocymopterus montanus. The t-test showed that there was a significant difference between Taraxacum officinale and Valeriana occidentalis. Valeriana occidentalis received more visits. There was a significant difference between Taraxacum officinale and Ranunculus glaberrimus based on visits, favoring Taraxacum officinale. This showed that competition for pollinator visits with Taraxacum officinale depends on the plant species being compared to and that sometimes competition between each other is apparent and sometimes there is no competition. More research should be conducted in order to grasp to what extent invasive species have on native communities.
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