ROLE OF ALLELOPATHY AS EXPRESSED BY DOMINATING TREES IN A LOWLAND FOREST IN CONTROLLING THE PRODUCTIVITY AND PATTERN OF HERBACEOUS GROWTH

Low productivity rate and relatively bare areas occur under sycamore, hackberry, red oak, and white oak trees, even though several herbaceous species may grow well under elm trees in the same community which cast just as dense shade. No significant differences were found in amounts of most mineral elements and p H sampled under sycamore, hackberry, red oak, and white oak trees as compared with control soils under elm trees in the adjacent plots. Percent soil moisture was consistently higher under all test trees than under elm trees throughout the growing season. Thus the low productivity rate and relatively bare areas under sycamore, hackberry, red oak, and white oak trees were not due primarily to the factors stated above. Decaying leaves, leaf leachate of all four test species, and soil collected from under test trees significantly reduced seed germination, radicle growth, and seedling growth of selected herbaceous species. Several growth inhibitors, chiefly phenolics, were isolated and identified from sycamore, hackberry, red oak, and white oak leaves and the soils under them. Thus it appears that the low productivity rate and destitute growth under test tree species are due to allelopathy. Ecological significance of allelopathy in a community is discussed.