PARENT SESSION
Poster Session #57: Invasive Species Ecology: Grasslands.
Thursday, August 8. Presentation from 8:00 AM to 9:30 AM. Exhibit Hall B & C, TCC

Inhibition of old-field species by Lespedeza cuneata (Fabaceae).

Dobrowolski, Wendy^*,1,2, Ungar, Irwin¹, McCarthy, Brian¹, ¹ Department of Environmental and Plant Biology, Athens, OH² USDA Forest Service, Riverside, CA

ABSTRACT- The effects of the nonnative perennial Lespedeza cuneata on species cover and diversity in an early successional old-field habitat were investigated in southeastern Ohio. Lespedeza cuneata significantly affected both total and individual species cover, but did not influence community measurements such as species richness and diversity. To investigate the role of allelopathy in structuring these communities, total phenolic compound concentration was determined for plant tissues and associated soil, and their effects on germination and growth in four target species (Solidago canadensis, Daucus carota, Setaria faberi, Tridens flavus) were assessed. Reduction in germination, growth, and biomass of the target species in the presence of phenols (vanillin and protocatechuic acid), plant organs (leaves, stems, dead stems), fruit leachates, root exudates, and associated soil indicated that the responses were both species-specific and plant organ specific. Both inhibition and stimulation occurred in the germination and growth of the target species.

KEY WORDS: Lespedeza cuneata, old-field succession, allelopathy, phenolics