Genetically–Mediated Leaf Chemistry in Invasive and Native Black Locust (Robinia pseudoacacia L.) Ecosystems

Black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia L.) is one of the few examples of an intra-continentally invasive species. Few genetic studies have been conducted on black locust and none compare North American invasive and native populations. Chapter 1 is a summary of what is currently known about the taxonomy of the species and the genetic structure of black locust populations. Because black locust is a nitrogen-fixing tree, it has the potential to greatly alter the ecosystems in which it invades. The goal of Chapter 2 is to characterize the genetic and chemical variation among populations throughout the native Appalachian region and in two invaded regions in the Northeast and Midwest regions of the U.S. Understanding the role that genetic identity contributes to altering ecosystem function may help elucidate how invasion can cause changes across local and regional scales. To assist in understanding the impact of black locust across ecosystems, it is essential to develop rapid and non-destructive means of estimating genetic and chemical characteristics. The focus of Chapter 3 is to test whether or not in situ leaf spectra-based models can be used to accurately determine leaf chemistries and predict genet membership.