competitor in the vicinity. The species is native to Eastern Asia, but was introduced to the US for aesthetic purposes. It has been used in floral arrangements, and because of improper disposal the plant has been recklessly introduced into areas, affecting the ecology of over 33 states from Georgia to Wisconsin, and parts of the Appalachians. The organism grows primarily in the perimeter of highly vegetative areas, allowing it to readily access the frontier of resources. Oriental bittersweet's ability to grow in a variety of environments has proven to be detrimental to many plant species along the Appalachian mountains and is moving more towards the West as time progresses. Oriental bittersweet employs multiple invasive and dispersal strategies allowing it to outcompete the surrounding plant species in non-native regions. This is a strong reason why the control of the species presents difficulties to manage. The plant's invasion has created diverse ecological, managerial, and agricultural complications making it a focus of environmental conservation efforts. Response to abiotic factors Oriental bittersweet can be found growing in areas that are high and steep. When placed in 10 different sites with varying light intensity and nitrogen concentration, Oriental bittersweet was found to have higher aboveground biomass as well as a lower mortality rate in comparison to its congener species, Celastrus scandens (American bittersweet). This species is able to outcompete other species by more effectively responding to abiotic conditions such as sunlight. In diverse abiotic conditions (such as varying sunlight intensity and nitrogen concentrations), Oriental bittersweet has a mortality rate of 14% in comparison to the American bittersweet, which has a mortality rate of 33%. Oriental bittersweet cannot thrive as efficiently when placed in extremely wet and dry environments; however, it flourishes in moderate rainfall environments which leads to an increased growth rate. Sunlight is one of the most vital resources for Oriental bittersweet. As demonstrated by controlled experiments, Oriental bittersweet grows more rapidly in environments that fare a higher amount of sunlight. In a study where populations received above 28% sunlight, it exhibited a higher amount of growth and biomass. This study used layers of woven cloth to control the percentage of available sunlight. In this experiment, the TLL ratio (the living length of stems on each plant) increased when Oriental bittersweet was exposed to higher amounts of sunlight. If Oriental bittersweet was exposed to 2% sunlight, then the TLL ratio decreased. Oriental bittersweet can