Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-t7czq Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-24T10:51:57.577Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Chemical effects of a dominant grass on seed germination of four familial pairs of dry grassland species

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 December 2008

Eszter Ruprecht ,
Tobias W. Donath ,
Annette Otte  and
R. Lutz Eckstein
Eszter Ruprecht*
Affiliation:
Department of Taxonomy and Ecology, Babeş-Bolyai University, Republicii street 42, RO-400015Cluj Napoca, Romania
Tobias W. Donath
Affiliation:
Department of Landscape Ecology and Resource Management, Interdisciplinary Research Centre, Justus-Liebig-University Gießen, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 26-32, DE-35392Gießen, Germany
Annette Otte
Affiliation:
Department of Landscape Ecology and Resource Management, Interdisciplinary Research Centre, Justus-Liebig-University Gießen, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 26-32, DE-35392Gießen, Germany
R. Lutz Eckstein
Affiliation:
Department of Landscape Ecology and Resource Management, Interdisciplinary Research Centre, Justus-Liebig-University Gießen, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 26-32, DE-35392Gießen, Germany
*
*Correspondence Fax: +40 264431858 Email: [email protected]
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Community composition and ecosystem processes during succession may be driven partly by traits of plant species that attain dominance. Here, we addressed the hypothesis that Stipa pulcherrima, the dominant grass of abandoned continental grasslands, controls seedling recruitment of co-occurring species through chemical effects of its litter. Eight species with successful and unsuccessful recruitment under field conditions were selected (four familial pairs) to study experimentally the effects of leaf leachate under four temperature regimes. Since fungi developed in leachate-treated Petri dishes, in another experiment seeds were surface sterilized to remove confounding effects of fungi on recruitment. Leachate affected various stages of seedling recruitment: it significantly reduced seed germination (by 33–94%) and radicle elongation, and it delayed germination of seedlings of all species. In two families, species with unsuccessful field recruitment were more negatively affected than the successful ones. In a third family, the species with successful recruitment was more negatively affected, and in the fourth there were no differences. Similar germination responses after exclusion of fungi through seed-surface sterilization suggested that leachate was responsible for the observed effects on recruitment. Besides other traits and physical/microclimatic effects of accumulating litter, S. pulcherrima influences plant community dynamics and may potentially affect ecosystem processes through its secondary compounds.

Keywords

allelochemicalsallelopathycommunity dynamicsfungiradicle lengthseedling establishmentStipa grasslandStipa pulcherrima
Type
Research Article
Information
Seed Science Research , Volume 18 , Issue 4 , December 2008 , pp. 239 - 248
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2008

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Abenavoli, M.R., Cacco, G., Sorgonà, A., Marabottini, R., Paolacci, A.R., Ciaffi, M. and Badiani, M. (2006) The inhibitory effects of coumarin on the germination of durum wheat (Triticum turgidum ssp. Durum, CV. Simeto) seeds. Journal of Chemical Ecology 32, 489–506.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Anaya, A.L. and del Amo, S. (1978) Allelopathic potential of Ambrosia cumanensis H.B.K. (Compositae) in a tropical zone of Mexico. Journal of Chemical Ecology 4, 289–304.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Anderson, R.C., Katz, A.J. and Anderson, M.R. (1978) Allelopathy as a factor in the success of Helianthus mollis Lam. Journal of Chemical Ecology 4, 9–16.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bakker, J.P. and Berendse, F. (1999) Constraints in the restoration of ecological diversity in grassland and heathland communities. Trends in Ecology and Evolution 14, 63–68.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Baskin, C.C. and Baskin, J.M. (1988) Germination ecophysiology of herbaceous plant species in a temperate region. American Journal of Botany 75, 286–305.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Baskin, C.C. and Baskin, J.M. (2001) Seeds. Ecology, biogeography, and evolution of dormancy and germination. San Diego, Academic Press.Google Scholar
Black, M., Bewley, J.D. and Halmer, P. (2006) The encyclopedia of seeds – science, technology and uses. Wallingford, CABI Publishing.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Blaney, C.S. and Kotanen, P.M. (2001) Effects of fungal pathogens on seeds of native and exotic plants: a test using congeneric pairs. Journal of Applied Ecology 38, 1104–1113.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bosy, J.L. and Reader, R.J. (1995) Mechanisms underlying the suppression of forb seedlings by grass (Poa pratensis) litter. Functional Ecology 9, 635–639.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Chang-Hung, C. and Chiu-Chung, Y. (1975) Phytotoxic substances in twelve subtropical grasses. Journal of Chemical Ecology 1, 183–193.Google Scholar
Chon, S.U. and Kim, Y.M. (2004) Herbicidal potential and quantification of suspected allelochemicals from four grass crop extracts. Journal of Agronomy and Crop Science 190, 145–150.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Chou, C.H. and Young, C.C. (1975) Phytotoxic substances in twelve subtropical grasses. Journal of Chemical Ecology 1, 183–193.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dalling, J.W., Swaine, M.D. and Garwood, N.C. (1998) Dispersal patterns and seed bank dynamics of pioneer trees in moist tropical forests. Ecology 79, 564–578.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Datta, S.C. and Sinha-Roy, S.P. (1975) Phytotoxic effects of Croton bonplandianum Baill. on weedy associates. Vegetatio 30, 157–163.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
del Moral, R. and Cates, R.G. (1971) Allelopathic potential of the dominant vegetation of Western Washington. Ecology 52, 1030–1037.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Donath, T.W. and Eckstein, R.L. (2008) Grass and oak litter exert different effects on seedling emergence of herbaceous perennials from grasslands and woodlands. Journal of Ecology 96, 272–280.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Eckstein, R.L. and Donath, T.W. (2005) Interactions between litter and water availability affect seedling emergence in four familial pairs of floodplain species. Journal of Ecology 93, 807–816.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ellenberg, E. (1988) Vegetation ecology of Central Europe. Cambridge, Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Enyedi, Z.M., Ruprecht, E. and Deák, M. (2008) Long-term effects of the abandonment of grazing on steppe-like grasslands. Applied Vegetation Science 11, 53–60.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Facelli, J.M. and Pickett, S.T.A. (1991) Plant litter: its dynamics and effects on plant community structure. Botanical Review 57, 1–31.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Grime, J.P., Cornelissen, J.H.C., Thompson, K. and Hodgson, J.G. (1996) Evidence of a causal connection between anti-herbivore defence and the decomposition rate of leaves. Oikos 77, 489–494.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Harborne, J.B. (1993) Introduction to ecological biochemistry. NewYork, Academic Press.Google Scholar
Hölzel, N. and Otte, A. (2004) Ecological significance of seed germination characteristics in flood-meadow species. Flora 199, 12–24.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Jensen, K. and Gutekunst, K. (2003) Effects of litter on establishment of grassland plant species: the role of seed size and successional status. Basic and Applied Ecology 4, 579–587.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kahmen, S., Poschlod, P. and Schreiber, K.F. (2002) Conservation management of calcareous grasslands. Changes in plant species composition and response of functional traits during 25 years. Biological Conservation 104, 319–328.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Korneck, D., Schnittler, M., Klingenstein, F., Ludwig, G., Takla, M., Bohn, U.andMay, R. (1998) Warum verarmt unsere Flora? Auswertung der Roten Listen der Farn- und Blütenpflanzen Deutschlands. Schriftenreihe für Vegetationskunde 29, 299–444.Google Scholar
Luoto, M., Pykälä, J. and Kuussaari, M. (2003) Decline of landscape-scale habitat and species diversity after the end of cattle grazing. Journal for Nature Conservation 11, 171–178.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mazzoleni, S., Bonanomi, G., Giannino, F., Rietkerk, M., Dekker, S.C.andZucconi, F. (2007) Is plant biodiversity driven by decomposition processes? An emerging new theory on plant diversity. Community Ecology 8, 103–109.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Menzies, J.D. and Gilbert, R.G. (1967) Response of soil microflora to soil volatile components in plant residues. Soil Science Society of America Journal 31, 495–496.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mitchley, J. and Xofis, P. (2005) Landscape structure and management regime as indicators of calcareous grassland habitat condition and species diversity. Journal for Nature Conservation 13, 171–183.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mitschunas, N., Wagner, M. and Filser, J. (2006) Evidence for a positive influence of fungivorous soil invertebrates on the seed bank persistence of grassland species. Journal of Ecology 94, 791–800.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Moog, D., Poschlod, P., Kahmen, S. and Schreiber, K.F. (2002) Comparison of species composition between different grassland management treatments after 25 years. Applied Vegetation Science 5, 99–106.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Myster, R.W. (2006) Species-specific effects of grass litter mass and type on emergence of three tall grass prairie species. Écoscience 13, 95–99.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Newman, E.I. and Rovira, A.D. (1975) Allelopathy among some British grassland species. Journal of Ecology 63, 727–737.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Norby, R.J. and Kozlowski, T.T. (1980) Allelopathic potential of ground cover species on Pinus resinosa seedlings. Plant and Soil 57, 363–374.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Olff, H., Pegtel, D.M., van Groenendael, J.M. and Bakker, J.P. (1994) Germination strategies during grassland succession. Journal of Ecology 82, 69–77.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Pärtel, M., Zobel, M., Zobel, K. and van der Maarel, E. (1996) The species pool and its relation to species richness: evidence from Estonian plant communities. Oikos 75, 111–117.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Pykälä, J., Luoto, M., Heikkinen, R.K. and Kontula, T. (2005) Plant species richness and persistence of rare plants in abandoned semi-natural grasslands in northern Europe. Basic and Applied Ecology 6, 25–33.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Quested, H. and Eriksson, O. (2006) Litter species composition influences the performance of seedlings of grassland herbs. Functional Ecology 20, 522–532.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Quested, H., Eriksson, O., Fortunel, C. and Garnier, E. (2007) Plant traits relate to whole-community litter quality and decomposition following land use change. Functional Ecology 21, 1016–1026.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Quinn, G.P. and Keough, M.J. (2002) Experimental design and data analysis for biologists. Cambridge, Cambridge University Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rice, E.L. (1972) Allelopathic effects of Andropogon virginicus and its persistence in old fields. American Journal of Botany 59, 752–755.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rice, E.L. (1984) Allelopathy (2nd edition). San Diego, Academic Press.Google Scholar
Rizvi, S.J.H. and Rizvi, V. (1992) Allelopathy. Basic and applied aspects. London, Chapman & Hall.Google Scholar
Schlatterer, E.F. and Tisdale, E.W. (1969) Effects of litter of Artemisia, Chrysothamnus, and Tortula on germination and growth of three perennial grasses. Ecology 50, 869–873.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Tilman, D. (1993) Species richness of experimental productivity gradients: how important is colonisation limitation? Ecology 74, 2179–2191.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Tutin, T.G., Heywood, V.H., Burges, N.A., Moore, D.M., Valentine, D.H., Walters, S.M. and Webb, D.A. (1964–1980) Flora Europaea. Vols 1–5. Cambridge, Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Vandvik, V.andBirks, H.J.B. (2002) Partitioning floristic variance in Norwegian upland grasslands into within-site and between-site components: are the patterns determined by environment or by land-use? Plant Ecology 162, 233–245.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Virágh, K. and Bartha, S. (1996) The effect of current dynamical state of a loess steppe community on its responses to disturbances. Tiscia 30, 3–13.Google Scholar
Wagner, M. and Mitschunas, N. (2008) Fungal effects on seed bank persistence and potential applications in weed biocontrol: a review. Basic and Applied Ecology 9, 191–203.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Waldhardt, R. and Otte, A. (2003) Indicators of plant species and community diversity in grasslands. Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment 98, 339–351.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wardle, D.A., Nicholson, K.S. and Ahmed, M. (1992) Comparison of osmotic and allelopathic effects of grass leaf extracts on grass seed germination and radicle elongation. Plant and Soil 140, 315–319.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wardle, D.A., Nicholson, K.S. and Rahman, A. (1993) Influence of plant age on the allelopathic potential of nodding thistle (Carduus nutans L.) against pasture grasses and legumes. Weed Research 33, 69–78.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wardle, D.A., Nilsson, M.C., Gallet, C. and Zackrisson, O. (1998) An ecosystem-level perspective of allelopathy. Biological Review 73, 305–319.Google Scholar
Weiher, E. and Keddy, P. (1999) Ecological assembly rules: Perspectives, advances, retreats. Cambridge, Cambridge University Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wellstein, C., Otte, A. and Waldhardt, R. (2007) Impact of site and management on the diversity of Central European mesic grassland. Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment 122, 203–210.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Werner, P.A. (1975) The effects of plant litter on germination in teasel, Dipsacus sylvestris Huds. American Midland Naturalist 94, 470–476.CrossRefGoogle Scholar