Modelling the role of allelopathy on semiarid ecosystems controlled by plant-water feedbacks

  • Plant-plant biotic interactions (i.e. interference and facilitation) are important for the functioning of semi-arid ecosystems. Interference goes beyond competition for resources, and it can involve chemical interactions such as allelopathy. The presence of allelopathy can change the net interaction outcome between plants. For example, allelopathy can be a weapon of an inferior competitor for a limited resource. The output of the biotic interactions between a competitive superior and a competitive inferior plant competing for a limited resource could change if the competitive inferior plant is allelopathic. Moreover, in semiarid ecosystems, vegetation pattern is patchy, and plant establishment occurs predominantly in vegetation patches. Thus, community dynamics are highly dependent on local interactions between plants. Allelopathy could be relevant for plant community dynamics exploiting dynamic and patchy scarce resources, but this mechanism has seldom been explored. We aim to investigate the role of allelopathic interactions onPlant-plant biotic interactions (i.e. interference and facilitation) are important for the functioning of semi-arid ecosystems. Interference goes beyond competition for resources, and it can involve chemical interactions such as allelopathy. The presence of allelopathy can change the net interaction outcome between plants. For example, allelopathy can be a weapon of an inferior competitor for a limited resource. The output of the biotic interactions between a competitive superior and a competitive inferior plant competing for a limited resource could change if the competitive inferior plant is allelopathic. Moreover, in semiarid ecosystems, vegetation pattern is patchy, and plant establishment occurs predominantly in vegetation patches. Thus, community dynamics are highly dependent on local interactions between plants. Allelopathy could be relevant for plant community dynamics exploiting dynamic and patchy scarce resources, but this mechanism has seldom been explored. We aim to investigate the role of allelopathic interactions on ecosystem dynamics ruled by plant-water feedbacks with a modelling approach to understand its relevance and consequences for semi-arid ecosystems. Allelopathy was included mechanistically, by diffusion of allelopathic compounds with water movements in a spatially-explicit two species model (allelopathic and susceptible plants). We found that the balance between sensitivity to allelopathic compounds and cost of the allelopathic production is key for determining community composition at steady state. Moreover, the range of conditions that presented bistability was widened with the inclusion of allelopathy. These results imply that the ecosystem would be less resilient after perturbations and degraded states could be more stable when allelopathic plants dominate the community.show moreshow less

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Author: Y. Pueyo, S. Kéfi, Daniel Caviedes-VoullièmeORCiD, Javier Fernández-Pato
URL:http://www.medecos-aeet-meeting2017.es/ABSTRACT_BOOK_421_p.htm
Title of the source (English):XIV MEDECOS & XIII AEET meeting, Human driven scenarios for evolutionary and ecological changes, Abstract book, 31st January - 4th February 2017, Seville, Spain
Publisher:Asociación Española de Ecología Terrestre (AEET)
Place of publication:Madrid
Document Type:Scientific journal article not peer-reviewed
Language:English
Year of publication:2017
First Page:S. 185
Faculty/Chair:Fakultät 2 Umwelt und Naturwissenschaften / FG Hydrologie
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