Video Presentation

In Pennsylvania, salt is used to treat roads during adverse weather conditions. The resulting runoff has the potential to contaminate waterways and substrates that support plant communities. In recent years, the conservation of plant communities in potentially contaminated roadside ditches has received increased attention. This study will observe impacts of roadside runoff on jewelweed, Impatiens capensis. Research on this topic is relevant and timely as many of these roadsides function as wetlands; wetland ecosystems are particularly vulnerable to degradation while roadsides are well-known corridors for invasive species. By answering how roadside runoff impacts a common wetland species (jewelweed) in these ditches, we can better assess the health of these ecosystems and their resilience to anthropogenic stressors. We will attempt to answer how roadside runoff impacts jewelweed phenology and physiology across various treatments. Jewelweed seeds will be collected from various populations and grown in a common-garden experiment. Seedlings will be raised and then watered with a solution containing contaminants, including road-salts, in a randomized complete block design. This work will result in a better understanding of human impacts on ubiquitous but understudied roadside habitats and their associated plant communities.