Open to WSU Tri-Cities faculty, staff, and students.
Final Examination Announcement for Alexis Sullivan, who will be defending her thesis proposal for the degree of Master of Science in Biology. The exam announcement is to be posted in a public space within the department. As a publicly-funded institution of higher education, all WSU final exams are required to be open to the public without exception.
Alexis Sullivan’s Master’s proposal defense will be held on Tuesday, April 12 at noon over Zoom.
Title: Impact of invasion by annual grasses on mycorrhizal inoculation potential in the Palouse Prairie.
Abstract: The Palouse Prairie is one of the most critically endangered ecosystems in the United States, with less than 1% of native prairie remaining. The native prairie that remains today is increasingly threatened by land-use change and invasive species. The invasive winter annual grass Ventenata dubia has become a dominant threat to native prairie remnants, as it decreases native plant species diversity and native plant species richness. Although we have seen the effects of V. dubia on native plant communities since its introduction in the 1950’s, the impact V. dubia may have on soil microbial communities such as arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi is not known. My graduate work has focused on understanding the impact that V. dubia invasion has, if any, on AM fungi in the Palouse Prairie.
Zoom Link: https://wsu.zoom.us/j/94290055300?pwd=RVN4cXZIRnd3V0xwZmhuQnZUWGpIdz09
Meeting ID: 942 9005 5300
Passcode: 879413