It’s a little late, but finally a post about the experiment I’m doing this summer!
In Fall 2014, I collected seeds from multiple common ragweed (Ambrosia artemisiifolia) populations within urban Minneapolis and in the surrounding rural area. This summer, I am conducting an urban-rural reciprocal transplant experiment using those seeds to determine whether ragweed populations have adapted in response to the selection pressures present in urban and rural environments.
I have four field sites – two located in urban Minneapolis (called St.Paul and Scooterville), and two located in rural locations outside of the Twin Cities (called River Terrace and Rosemount). The Scooterville site is located on the University of Minnesota East Bank Campus and is part of the UMN Living Labs program.
Eric Holton (UMN undergraduate in EEB), tilling the Scooterville field site
In mid-May, I germinated the seeds in the greenhouse at the UMN and I prepared the sites for planting. This included lots of tilling, which is basically like using a giant lawnmower, but scarier. In early June, I transplanted the ragweed seedlings out into the four field sites (with the help of others, of course). Overall, the transplanting was a success and most of the plants survived! Hurray!
I’ll be collecting data on these plants over the course of the summer, and I’ll try to post an update now and then with some pictures too! Stay tuned for more on everyone’s favourite plant, ragweed.
Ragweed germinants successfully transplanted
The Rosemount field site after transplanting
Amanda J. Gorton 