Journal ArticleDOI
Allelopathy and exotic plant invasion
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TLDR
It is argued that non-resource mechanisms should be returned to the discussion table as a potential mechanism for explaining the remarkable success of some invasive species.Abstract:
The primary hypothesis for the astonishing success of many exotics as community invaders relative to their importance in their native communities is that they have escaped the natural enemies that control their population growth – the `natural enemies hypothesis'. However, the frequent failure of introduced biocontrols, weak consumer effects on the growth and reproduction of some invaders, and the lack of consistent strong top-down regulation in many natural ecological systems indicate that other mechanisms must be involved in the success of some exotic plants. One mechanism may be the release by the invader of chemical compounds that have harmful effects on the members of the recipient plant community (i.e., allelopathy). Here, we provide an abbreviated compilation of evidence for allelopathy in general, present a detailed case study for Centaurea diffusa, an invasive Eurasian forb in western North America, and review general evidence for allelopathic effects of invasive plants in native communities. The primary rationale for considering allelopathy as a mechanism for the success of invaders is based on two premises. First, invaders often establish virtual monocultures where diverse communities once flourished, a phenomenon unusual in natural communities. Second, allelopathy may be more important in recipient than in origin communities because the former are more likely to be naive to the chemicals possessed by newly arrived species. Indeed, results from experiments on C. diffusa suggest that this invader produces chemicals that long-term and familiar Eurasian neighbors have adapted to, but that C. diffusa's new North American neighbors have not. A large number of early studies demonstrated strong potential allelopathic effects of exotic invasive plants; however, most of this work rests on controversial methodology. Nevertheless, during the last 15 years, methodological approaches have improved. Allelopathic effects have been tested on native species, allelochemicals have been tested in varying resource conditions, models have been used to estimate comparisons of resource and allelopathic effects, and experimental techniques have been used to ameliorate chemical effects. We do not recommend allelopathy as a `unifying theory' for plant interactions, nor do we espouse the view that allelopathy is the dominant way that plants interact, but we argue that non-resource mechanisms should be returned to the discussion table as a potential mechanism for explaining the remarkable success of some invasive species. Ecologists should consider the possibility that resource and non-resource mechanisms may work simultaneously, but vary in their relative importance depending on the ecological context in which they are studied. One such context might be exotic plant invasion.read more
Citations
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Journal ArticleDOI
Biochar mitigation of allelopathic effects in three invasive plants: evidence from seed germination trials
TL;DR: In this article , pyrolized organic material used as a soil amendment (biochar) to sorb allelochemicals and mitigate allelopathic effects on seed germination and early seedling development in three common invasive plants in Canada: garlic mustard (Alliaria petiolata), tree of heaven (Ailanthus altissima), and yellow sweetgrass (Melilotus officinalis).
Universidade federal do rio grande do sul instituto de biociências programa de pós-graduação em ecologia
TL;DR: Thematicia do cálculo do IQA Índice de Qualidade das Águas, classificação d as águas doces conforme os usos preponderantes e aspectos sociais e econômicos, 2.2.1.
Journal ArticleDOI
Response of deeproot sedge (Cyperus entrerianus) to herbicide and prescribed fire in Texas coastal prairie.
TL;DR: This research is the first attempt, to the authors' knowledge, to quantify the utility of prescribed fire, herbicide, and combinations thereof, to control deeproot sedge in coastal prairie.
Book ChapterDOI
Non-trophic Interactions: Allelopathy
TL;DR: This chapter reviews the latest development in the understanding of allelopathy in promoting and restricting plant growth and the ways in which the knowledge can be used in sustainable management of natural and managed ecosystems.
Journal ArticleDOI
Chemical Constituents of the Essential Oil of Invasive Chromolaena odorata leaves in Central Nepal
Lal B Thapa,Seeta Pathak,Khadka Bahadur Pal,Tayer Mohamad Miya,Tej Bahadur Darji,Gunanand Pant,Ramesh Raj Pant +6 more
TL;DR: This study aims to identify volatile chemical components in the essential oil of C. odorata, one of the widely distributed invasive alien plants in the tropical to subtropical regions of Nepal, which is suspected to have an allelopathic effect on native species, anti-herbivory properties, and medicinal values.
References
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Book
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TL;DR: The "Penguin Classics" edition of "On the Origin of Species" as discussed by the authors contains an introduction and notes by William Bynum, and features a cover designed by Damien Hirst.
Journal ArticleDOI
Biotic invasions: causes, epidemiology, global consequences, and control
Richard N. Mack,Daniel Simberloff,W. Mark Lonsdale,Harry C. Evans,M. N. Clout,Fakhri A. Bazzaz +5 more
TL;DR: Given their current scale, biotic invasions have taken their place alongside human-driven atmospheric and oceanic alterations as major agents of global change and left unchecked, they will influence these other forces in profound but still unpredictable ways.
Journal ArticleDOI
Evidence for the existence of three primary strategies in plants and its relevance to ecological and evolutionary theory
TL;DR: A triangular model based upon the three strategies of evolution in plants may be reconciled with the theory of r- and K-selection, provides an insight into the processes of vegetation succession and dominance, and appears to be capable of extension to fungi and to animals.
Journal ArticleDOI
The Ecology of Invasions by Animals and Plants.
P. W. Richards,Charles Elton +1 more