Research Symposium

BIO

My name is Alyssa Cruz. I am a first-year biology major from Miami, FL. Biology has always been a primary interest of mine, but it was always clear that medicine would not be the path that I would take. However, after a summer internship at Fairchild Tropical Botanical Gardens in 2018, I discovered my passion for plants and conservation. I hope to pursue a career in researching the widely ignored field of botany and one day make a difference in understanding these complex organisms.

Seed Banks Within the Dunes of St. George Island

Abstract

Barrier islands make up some 80% of the coastline of the SE United States and have significant economic and ecological importance. There are generally three habitats on these islands: tall foredunes near the shore, backed by a flat interdune area, and finally a series of older backdunes. Each of these supports distinctive plant and animal species. Samples of sand were collected from each of these dune type and maintained in a growth chamber with water and light. At regular intervals, emerging seedlings were counted. The results showed (a) there was a highly variable seed bank from plot to plot; (b) seedling number was lowest in foredunes and highest in interdunes. However, data are still being collected on whether the seed banks had species comparable to the species found in the vegetation of their respective plots.

Keywords: seed bank, dunes, plants, biology