Premium
Effect of plant age on tolerance of two grasses to simulated trampling
Author(s) -
SUN DAN
Publication year - 1991
Publication title -
australian journal of ecology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1442-9993
pISSN - 0307-692X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1442-9993.1991.tb01045.x
Subject(s) - trampling , cynodon dactylon , lolium perenne , germination , biology , agronomy , resistance (ecology) , significant difference , eleusine indica , horticulture , poaceae , weed , grazing , mathematics , statistics
The effect of plant age up to 85 days on the resistance to trampling and recovery of Cynodon dactylon and Lolium perenne was examined quantitatively in a glasshouse experiment. Simulated trampling treatments were initially applied to these plants at six different time intervals based upon age: 5, 15, 25, 45, 65 and 85 days after seed germination. Resistance of both species to trampling was found to increase with age. Overall, the recovery of C. dactylon also increased with age while L. perenne showed no significant difference in recovery as age increased. Resistance of L. perenne to trampling was higher than that of C. dactylon at all six ages while the recovery of C. dactylon from trampling was greater than that of L. perenne at all six ages . In conclusion, trampling can be considered as an important factor affecting the establishment of seedlings.