Plant Ecol (2012) 213:1857–1859 DOI 10.1007/s11258-012-0156-8
Introduction to the special issue on allelopathy Scott J. Meiners • Chui-Hua Kong
Published online: 11 December 2012 Ó Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht 2012
The last decade has seen a dramatic increase in ecological research on allelopathy, largely within the context of non-native species invasions. The vast majority of these studies focus on determining whether a species is allelopathic and in determining the mode of action for the interaction. The case study approach is a useful first step, but it should not preclude the integration of allelopathy into a broader ecological context. In preparing this special issue of Plant Ecology on allelopathy, we have specifically focused on studies that place allelopathy into the context of environmental variation, species interactions, soil microbial communities, restoration, and other ecological processes. We have attempted to span the breadth of allelopathy research—incorporating a broad range of plant communities/ecosystems, geographic locations, and taxonomic groups. We have adopted a broad view of allelopathy and its consequences. While the incorporation of the Greek pathos (suffering) into the term suggests chemical interactions that are in some way inhibitory, we have
S. J. Meiners (&) Department of Biological Sciences, Eastern Illinois University, Charleston, IL, USA e-mail:
[email protected] C.-H. Kong Department of Ecology College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China e-mail:
[email protected]
adopted the broader definition of ‘‘any chemically mediated interactions among plants’’ (Rice 1974). That being said, most of the interactions described here are inhibitory. An interesting and related question is, how much chemical mediation is necessary before an interaction is considered to be allelopathic? The alteration of local soil pH is a common impact of many plant species that is not considered allelopathic, but would certainly involve the release of chemicals from plant tissues. Allelochemicals may have direct effects on other plants or they may be mediated through the action of soil microbes. Ultimately, the effects of allelopathic interactions may be expressed by changes in growth, competitive outcomes, and soil resource dynamics, among others. Of course, any allelopathic effects are only part of the potential suite of interactions between species, with the overall interaction reflecting the net effects of direct competition, facilitation, and allelopathy. It is the overall direction and strength of the interaction that will determine community dynamics and structure. We have pulled together two very different research areas and their approaches to allelopathy in this special issue. Allelopathic research within agricultural systems has a long and largely continuous history, whereas interest in allelopathy in ecological systems has ebbed and flowed over the years. By including studies of agro-ecosystems into this issue, we have tried to form connections between the two research groups. We pose that agricultural systems may be considered as useful model systems for understanding
123
1858
the range of potential allelopathic interactions and their mechanisms. Interactions within agricultural systems are typically well characterized from a chemical standpoint. This allows for a very detailed understanding of the subtleties of allelopathy and its underlying mechanisms. One could argue that agricultural systems are too simplistic to be able to relate to the diversity found within most natural plant communities; however, most ecological studies also focus on a quite small range of species. What more traditional ecological studies bring to the conceptual table is a broader perspective on the implications of allelopathic interactions and the potential to incorporate these interactions into broader theories of community organization. It is our sincere hope that both groups will benefit from developing an appreciation of the other’s perspectives and research approaches. We start this special issue with a brief treatment of a suite of ways in which allelopathic research may grow to develop a more complete ecological context (Meiners et al. 2012). It was the development of these ideas which initially lead to pursuing a special issue on allelopathy. From there, we focus on allelochemicals within soils and the complexities of the interactions that can occur. Grove et al. (2012) explore allelopathy in an invasive plant and its influences on plant growth and mycorrhizal interactions. Wang et al. (2012) provide a detailed look at the potential for individual allelochemicals to alter soil microbial communities. Similarly, Teasdale et al. (2012) separate the roles of individual chemicals in affecting plant growth, and determine the persistence of these chemicals in the soil. The next three papers examine ecological contingencies that may determine the strength and outcome of allelopathic interaction. Bauer et al. (2012) examine the role of soil microbial communities in mitigating the allelopathic effects of an invasive non-native species. Within an agricultural system, Sun et al. (2012) examine the ability of plants to detect competition and alter their production of beneficial allelochemicals to reduce competitive effects. Finally, Ladwig et al. (2012) document plasticity in allelopathic potential between sun and shaded environments for a suite of lianas and link this to their successional roles. The next four papers relate to the role of allelopathy in determining the success of a plant and the outcomes of interactions with other species. Kato-Noguchi et al. (2012) examine the role of allelopathy in the ability of an understory fern to form extensive monocultures in
123
Plant Ecol (2012) 213:1857–1859
tropical systems. Peguero et al. (2012) focus on tree seedling establishment in succession and the balance between facilitation by existing trees and the allelochemicals that they produce. Tran et al. (2012) explore the potential for allelopathic control of an invasive weed species, which through specificity of action may lead to the facilitation of a second weedy species. Following the theme of specificity in allelopathic action, Viard-Cre´tat et al. (2012) document speciesspecific effects of allelochemicals that interact with competition to shape community structure. The final two papers seek to broaden the context and application of allelopathy in ecological systems. Cummings et al. (2012) explore the applicability of allelopathy in restoring communities and provide an example from their own work. Hale and Kalisz (2012) specifically think about allelopathy in the context of plant mutualisms, broadening this work to include mycorrhizal as well as other mutualisms not traditionally linked with allelopathy. We hope this special issue will serve to broaden the perspective of allelopathic research and to stimulate discussion and ecological research into plant–plant chemical interactions.
References Bauer JT, Shannon SM, Stoops RE, Reynolds HL (2012) Context dependency of the allelopathic effects of Lonicera maackii on seed germination. Plant Ecol. doi:10.1007/s 11258-012-0036-2 Cummings J, Parker IM, Gilbert GS (2012) Allelopathy: A tool for weed management in forest restoration. Plant Ecol. doi: 10.1007/s11258-012-0154-x Grove S, Haubensak KA, Parker IM (2012) Direct and indirect effects of allelopathy in the soil legacy of an exotic plant invasion. Plant Ecol. doi:10.1007/s11258-012-0079-4 Hale AN, Kalisz S (2012) Perspectives on allelopathic disruption of plant mutualisms: a framework for individual- and population-level fitness consequences. Plant Ecol. doi: 10.1007/s11258-012-0128-z Kato-Noguchi H, Saito Y, Suenaga K (2012) Involvement of allelopathy in the establishment of pure colony of Dicranopteris linearis Plant Ecol. doi:10.1007/s11258-0120096-3 Ladwig LM, Meiners SJ, Pisula NL, Lang KA (2012) Conditional allelopathic potential of temperate lianas. Plant Ecol. doi:10.1007/s11258-012-0087-4 Meiners SJ, Kong CH, Ladwig LM, Pisula NL, Lang KA (2012) Developing an ecological context for allelopathy. Plant Ecol. 213:1221–1227 Peguero G, Lanuza OR, Save´ R, Espelta JM (2012) Allelopathic potential of the neotropical dry-forest tree Acacia pennatula Benth: inhibition of seedling establishment exceeds
Plant Ecol (2012) 213:1857–1859 facilitation under tree canopies. Plant Ecol. doi:10.1007/s 11258-011-0014-0 Rice EL (1974) Allelopathy. Academic Press, New York Sun B, Kong C-H, Wang P, Qu R (2012) Response and relation of allantoin production in different rice cultivars to competing Barnyardgrass. Plant Ecol. doi:10.1007/s11258012-0093-6 Teasdale J, Rice C, Cai G, Mangum R (2012) Expression of allelopathy in the soil environment: Soil concentration and activity of benzoxazinoid compounds released by rye cover crop residue. Plant Ecol. doi:10.1007/s11258-012-0057-x Tran XD, Toyama T, Tran KD, Tawata S, Nakagoshi N (2012) Allelopathic interference of sweet potato with cogongrass
1859 and relevant species. Plant Ecol. doi:10.1007/s11258-0120136-z Viard-Cre´tat F, Baptist F, Secher-Fromell H, Gallet C (2012) The allelopathic effects of Festuca paniculata depends on competition in subalpine grasslands. Plant Ecol. doi:10.1007/ s11258-012-0143-0 Wang JL, Li XL, Zhang JL, Yao T, Wei D, Wang YF, Wang JG (2012) Effect of root exudates on beneficial microorganisms—evidence from a continuous soybean monoculture. Plant Ecol. doi:10.1007/s11258-012-0088-3
123
