Short, Sarah E.2024-05-232024-05-232023-12-07https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14446/344390Concern about the introduction and spread of non-native invasive plant species has increased in recent decades due to the harmful impacts their encroachment has on ecosystems. Due to many factors, non-native species may have survival or reproductive advantages over native plant species in their introduced habitats, which can lead to direct and indirect negative impacts on these ecosystems and their biodiversity. These effects are often difficult and expensive to manage, and they often lead to larger long-term issues. Lonicera maackii and L. japonica are invasive honeysuckle species that have the capability to outcompete, inhibit, and reduce the growth of native species, thus posing a threat to biodiversity of invaded regions. Both species have spread throughout much of the eastern U.S, and they have also formed naturalized populations in Oklahoma. Both species reproduce quickly, grow prolifically, face less resistance from competitors and herbivores, and tolerate a wider range of environmental conditions than most native plant species. Using data collected from field surveys and herbarium records, I present new information on the distribution of these species in eastern Oklahoma. Parks and public recreation areas of 47 counties of eastern Oklahoma were surveyed. I hypothesized the occurrence of L. maackii presence in 50% of counties, and L. japonica in 90%, as well as significant positive relationships between L.maackii presence and both population sizes of towns and number of non-native species per county. Combining herbarium data and observation records from the field surveys, I found L. maackii in fewer counties than expected from previous observations and the assumption of underreporting and L. japonica in nearly all counties surveyed. I found a strong positive relationship between the presence of L. maackii and the population sizes of the towns I surveyed, and a weaker positive relationship between the presence of L. maackii and the number of non-native species recorded in each county.application/pdfCopyright is held by the author who has granted the Oklahoma State University Library the non-exclusive right to share this material in its institutional repository. Contact Digital Library Services at lib-dls@okstate.edu or 405-744-9161 for the permission policy on the use, reproduction or distribution of this material.Honors Thesis