Allelopathic and competitive interactions between native and alien plants

Abstract The novel-weapons and homeland-security hypotheses are based on the idea that aliens natives not adapted to each other’s allelochemicals as they did co-evolve. However, only a few studies have tested this, it remains unclear how important co-evolutionary history is in determining strength of allelopathic interactions between natives. Here, we for potential pairwise effects other five alien native herbaceous species China. We germination experiment competition experiment. In experiment, whether aqueous extracts ten study had seed germination. differed their competitive responses, these were changed by presence activated carbon—a presumed allelopathy neutralizer– soil. Plant negative This was particularly case from species. Moreover, slightly stronger than hand, suffered more did, but could relate this allelopathy. Alien plants plants, reverse also true. These alien-native interactions, however, consistently or weaker native-native alien-alien interactions.