Abstract

While humans have been able to dominate the planet for millennia, current global trends suggest that natural systems are deteriorating at a rate that surpasses our ability to reverse environmental damages. One of the most overlooked ecological impacts that human acceleration has had on our environment can be seen through the redistribution of organisms. The transportation of living organisms beyond their geographical areas has resulted in a number of associated problems including the emergence and proliferation of biological invaders known more commonly as invasive, exotic, alien or foreign species. Invasive plants are capable of modifying natural ecosystem functioning by means of native species displacement. Many studies have shown that invasive species alter the biogeochemical structures of soil through a combination of properties including but not limited to increases in decomposition and litter production, phenological changes in plant growth and timing, and accelerated fluxes of nutrients. As part of a senior capstone project, and, an extension of a summer undergraduate research project, terrestrial species along 3 lakes in Kenosha County were monitored using a modified transect-quadrat sampling method. In addition to data collection on species type, abundance (based on cover), and diversity, soil samples within each quadrat were collected for analysis. Although results indicate that a correlation between invasive species abundance higher nutrient levels, higher electrical conductivity and lower pH levels indicating a higher acidity, further analysis to broaden the biogeochemical changes are still underway.