Allelopathy in the First Stages of Secondary Succession on the Piedmont of New Jersey

Abstract

Ambrosia artemisiifolia (ragweed) is a dominant species in the first year of old field succession but rarely persists for more than two years. Ragweed and Raphanus raphanistrum (wild radish), also an early invader, failed to become re‐established in plots cleared of second stage perennial vegetation (dominated by Aster pilosus), despite the large number of seeds of these primary invaders present in the soil. Edaphic experiments revealed that this pattern of succession was not due to mineral or physical properties of the soil. Field soil from the second stage of succession inhibited the growth and germination of ragweed and wild radish while soil from the first stage had no effect. Inhibitory volatile materials from ragweed were not detected. However, root exudate of ragweed, and shoot extracts of ragweed and aster inhibited the germination and growth of early invaders of abandoned fields. These results indicate that the vegetational change from the first to the second stage of succession may be mediated at least partially by an allelopathic response. Chromatography and bioassay techniques revealed the inhibitory compounds to be phenolic acids, including caffeic and chlorogenic acids.

Allelopathic Effects of Goldenrod Species on Turnover in Successional Communities

“…Once incorporated into the environment, allelochemicals may have been metabolized by soil organisms so rapidly that their concentration in the soil decreased and, therefore, their effect was minimized. As the allelochemicals that we investigated would typically be released into the environment upon leaf abscission, their effects would be mixed with other allelopathic old-field plants that may mask the community level influences of goldenrods (Keever, 1950;Jackson and Willemsen, 1976;Gó mez-Aparicio and Canham, 2008).…”

“…Allelopathy has generally come to mean the deleterious effect that one plant has on another through the production of chemical retardants (Martin and Rademacher, 1960;Muller, 1965;Jackson and Willemsen, 1976). However, this process is more complex because allelopathic plants are also capable of stimulatory effects (Jackson and Willemsen, 1976).…”

Relative allelopathic potential of invasive plant species in a young disturbed woodland1

“…Allelopathic plants interfere with nearby plants by dispersing chemicals into the soil that may inhibit neighboring plant growth, nutrient uptake, or germination (Inderjit and Dakshini 1994, Inderjit 1996, Abhilasha et al 2008. Allelochemicals are released into the environment via leachates and volatiles from live or dead plant roots and leaves (Jackson and Willemsen 1976, Rice 1984, Inderjit and Dakshini 1994, Inderjit 1996. In most cases, the release of these chemicals results in more resources available to the allelopathic plant for uptake, which produces a net benefit.…”

Allelochemical Control of Non-Indigenous Invasive Plant Species Affecting Military Testing and Training Activities

“…Annual ragweed, which is invasive in Europe (Beres et al, 2002), produces phytotoxic phenoloids and terpenoids that inhibit germination and seedling growth of several cultivated species (Bruckner, 1998). Annual ragweed root exudates and shoot extracts also inhibit germination and growth of earlyseral species, but not later-seral species, in native North American habitats (Jackson & Willemsen, 1976). Common sunflower, which is naturalized in Europe (Faure et al, 2002), also produces a number of phytotoxic compounds that inhibit a variety of plant species (Azania et al, 2003;Beres & Kazinczi, 2000;Irons & Burnside, 1982;Leather, 1983;Macias et al, 1998;Macias et al, 1998;Maruthi & Sankaran, 2001;Morris & Parrish, 1992;Ohno et al, 2001), including early-seral species, but not later-seral species, in native North American habitats (Wilson & Rice, 1968).…”