Undergraduate Honors Thesis
Microclimate Impacts on Silene Acaulis Phenology and Demographic Performance Public Deposited
- Abstract
Microclimate plays an important role in maintaining population stability for species
facing climate change. This is especially true in alpine plants, where adaptation strategies are
limited. This study explores the impact of microclimate on a population of Silene acaulis on
Niwot Ridge, Colorado. Microclimate is defined as small areas differing in climatic features; this
study includes soil temperature, slope, aspect, and elevation. I found various plant health
measurements that vary in each local microclimate including plant size and flower duration. I
isolated individual microclimate factors and their effect on individual measurements of plant
health. Mean soil temperature positively interacts with the size of plant. No microclimatic
variable was productive in estimating reproductive output. My results indicate that there is some
variation in microclimate that affects Silene acaulis phenology and demography which may be
important for stabilizing the population as seen in previous research.
- Creator
- Date Awarded
- 2024-04-04
- Academic Affiliation
- Advisor
- Committee Member
- Granting Institution
- Publisher
- Last Modified
- 2024-04-18
- Location
- Boulder
- Resource Type
- Rights Statement
- Language
- License
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Puckett_Kelsey_Defense_Copy.pdf | 2024-04-17 | Public | Download |