Is the effect of allelopathy of phanerophytes on ephemerals and other chaemeophyes always negative? Can't the effects be advantageous to other biotic components?
There are positive allelopathic interactions as well, many positive symbiotic associations are being progressed particularly micro-organism in rhizosphere to crop plants. See this paper "Allelopathic potential of Senna (Cassia angustifolia Vahl) on germination and seedling characters of some major cereal crops and their associated weeds. Pak. J. Bot. 39(4): 1145-1153"
I believe the contribution of each matter or nutrient by biotic factor through bio-geochemical cycle plays important roles in the ecosystem. so it is allelopathic or not, negative or positive it will somehow be beneficial for other and will shape component, process, and structure in the ecosystem. Component is type and number of organisms together with physical characteristic generating ecosystem, while structure is about spatial distribution of ecosystem components. The processes on the other hand are related to material and nutrient cycles, and energy flow in space and time as life support system. All elements interactions generate complex system and result in forest goods and services provide both direct and indirect values to all the components ecosystem including human. The terms positive or negative are labelled by human just to show the association between allelopathic species and other species affected. but, nature know the best, adaptation and competition are part of struggle of life for each species in the ecosystem; in this case natural selection will take a part. Finally, everything go into the system have its role or value which is interconnected to other components.
Allelopathy refers to biochemical effects (Inhibitory/stimulatory) of one plant on another through the release of allelochemicals in the plant environment as root exudates, volatiles (Air atmosphere), leachates due to precipitation (rainfall, snowfall, moist, fog etc) or through decomposition of plant biomass.The major source of allelochemicals production is through decomposition of plant biomass.
Allelopathic potential include both inhibitory and stimulstory effects. The allelochemicls at very low concentration become stimulatory due to enhancement of defense system of the recipient plant.
Allelochemicals can stimulate the growth at very low concentrations but could inhibit the same at higher concentrations. The stimulatory activity of any compound at lower concentrations is called hormesis. Duke et al. (2006) gave a plausible explanation of hormesis; the availability of some chemicals at lower doses could affect the plant hormones and are responsible for growth stimulation, while they might have growth retarding activity at higher doses due to the same or another mechanism of actions.
Anyway, in allelopathic research we always consider the negative effects (inhibitory) of one plant on another. The Novel Weapon hypothesis also consider the negative effects...
Allelopathy is known to have a crucial role in forests, as it influences vegetation growth composition and patterns of forest regeneration. Leaf litter and root exudates of Eucalyptus species, for example, are allelopathic for certain soil microbes and plant species. Invasive species, on the other hand, may also interfere with local plant growth due to its allelopathic capabilities. Allelopathy may not necessarily have negative effects on a particular ecosystem. Although it is known to be inhibitory, it could also pose stimulatory effects. However, it is known that the stimulatory effects of allelopathy are of low concentrations.
Current studies are focused on the effects of weeds on crops, and vice versa. It is said that usage of allelochemicals as growth regulators and natural herbicides may be a possible means of promoting sustainable agriculture. Callisto, for example, is widely used as a weed suppressor (a natural herbicide). Another would be rice allelopathy. This provides a particular avenue wherein allelopathy may prove to be beneficial (weed management and environmentally friendly herbicides).
Apart from this, one advantage of allelopathy would be it reduces the chances of species competing with one another for space, nutrients, light, and water, resulting to regular/uniform distribution patterns in a particular area, where nutrients are limited.
Allelopathy has inhibitory/stimulatory both effects.Respected SAM Narwal cleared this.In this reference my articles on Researchgate can viewed for more information.
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