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PLoS One

Title:		Soil biota reduce allelopathic effects of the invasive Eupatorium adenophorum
Author(s):		Zhu X; Zhang J; Ma K;
Address:		"State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China"
Journal Title:		PLoS One
Year:		2011
Volume:		20110928
Issue:		9
Page Number:		e25393 -
DOI:		10.1371/journal.pone.0025393
ISSN/ISBN:		1932-6203 (Electronic) 1932-6203 (Linking)
Abstract:		"Allelopathy has been hypothesized to play a role in exotic plant invasions, and study of this process can improve our understanding of how direct and indirect plant interactions influence plant community organization and ecosystem functioning. However, allelopathic effects can be highly conditional. For example allelopathic effects demonstrated in vivo can be difficult to demonstrate in field soils. Here we tested phytotoxicity of Eupatorium adenophorum (croftonweed), one of the most destructive exotic species in China, to a native plant species Brassica rapa both in sand and in native soil. Our results suggested that natural soils from different invaded habitats alleviated or eliminated the efficacy of potential allelochemicals relative to sand cultures. When that soil is sterilized, the allelopathic effects returned; suggesting that soil biota were responsible for the reduced phytotoxicity in natural soils. Neither of the two allelopathic compounds (9-Oxo-10,11-dehydroageraphorone and 9b-Hydroxyageraphorone) of E. adenophorum could be found in natural soils infested by the invader, and when those compounds were added to the soils as leachates, they showed substantial degradation after 24 hours in natural soils but not in sand. Our findings emphasize that soil biota can reduce the allelopathic effects of invaders on other plants, and therefore can reduce community invasibility. These results also suggest that soil biota may have stronger or weaker effects on allelopathic interactions depending on how allelochemicals are delivered"
Keywords:		Ageratina/chemistry/*physiology/*toxicity *Biota Brassica rapa/drug effects/*physiology *Introduced Species Kinetics Pheromones/metabolism/toxicity Plant Extracts/isolation & purification/toxicity Plant Leaves/chemistry Silicon Dioxide *Soil Soil Microbio;
Notes:		"MedlineZhu, Xunzhi Zhang, Jintun Ma, Keping eng Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't 2011/10/08 PLoS One. 2011; 6(9):e25393. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0025393. Epub 2011 Sep 28"