Acoustic Radiation Force and Noncovalent Bonds

Invasive plants disrupt native ecosystems and decrease native plant diversity. Under strong selection pressure, native plants sometimes adapt to better compete with an invasive species. My research investigates two variants of the annual forb Coreopsis that co-occur with the invasive forb Verbena brasiliensis. The objective of my research is to answer three questions: (1) Is an observed phenotypic variant Coreopsis more competitive with the wild type C. tinctoria? (2) IF so, what traits potentially make it more competitive?, (3) Is it an adapted variety of C. tinctoria or a related species? Whether or not it is a separate species, the existence of a more competitive variant may provide an effective replacement for the wild type C. tinctoria in native restoration projects within the range of V. brasiliensis.