Does Allelopathy Explain the Scarcity of Spruce and Fir Trees in the Beech Gaps of Great Smoky...
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Transcript of Does Allelopathy Explain the Scarcity of Spruce and Fir Trees in the Beech Gaps of Great Smoky...
![Page 1: Does Allelopathy Explain the Scarcity of Spruce and Fir Trees in the Beech Gaps of Great Smoky Mountains National Park? Monica Poteat Dr. David Vandermast.](https://reader035.fdocuments.net/reader035/viewer/2022062216/56649da75503460f94a93d00/html5/thumbnails/1.jpg)
Does Allelopathy Explain the Scarcity of Spruce and Fir Trees in the Beech Gaps of Great Smoky Mountains National Park?
Monica PoteatDr. David Vandermast
Elon University
![Page 2: Does Allelopathy Explain the Scarcity of Spruce and Fir Trees in the Beech Gaps of Great Smoky Mountains National Park? Monica Poteat Dr. David Vandermast.](https://reader035.fdocuments.net/reader035/viewer/2022062216/56649da75503460f94a93d00/html5/thumbnails/2.jpg)
Beech Gaps
• Great Smoky Mtns.
• High elevations
• Deciduous– American beech (Fagus
grandifolia)
• Evergreen – Red spruce (Picea rubens)
– Fraser fir (Abies fraseri)
![Page 3: Does Allelopathy Explain the Scarcity of Spruce and Fir Trees in the Beech Gaps of Great Smoky Mountains National Park? Monica Poteat Dr. David Vandermast.](https://reader035.fdocuments.net/reader035/viewer/2022062216/56649da75503460f94a93d00/html5/thumbnails/3.jpg)
Other Theories
• Height difference (Whitaker 1956)
• Inadequate seed rain (Pavlovic 1981)
• Lack of shade tolerance (Harlow et al. 1991)
• Beech soil pH/chemistry (Russell 1953; Fuller 1977)
![Page 4: Does Allelopathy Explain the Scarcity of Spruce and Fir Trees in the Beech Gaps of Great Smoky Mountains National Park? Monica Poteat Dr. David Vandermast.](https://reader035.fdocuments.net/reader035/viewer/2022062216/56649da75503460f94a93d00/html5/thumbnails/4.jpg)
Allelopathy
• The production of biomolecules by one plant species which can inhibit the germination and/or growth of other plant species (Rizvi et al. 1992)
![Page 5: Does Allelopathy Explain the Scarcity of Spruce and Fir Trees in the Beech Gaps of Great Smoky Mountains National Park? Monica Poteat Dr. David Vandermast.](https://reader035.fdocuments.net/reader035/viewer/2022062216/56649da75503460f94a93d00/html5/thumbnails/5.jpg)
Hypothesis
Beech allelopathy inhibits the germination and mass accumulation of
red spruce and Fraser fir seeds
![Page 6: Does Allelopathy Explain the Scarcity of Spruce and Fir Trees in the Beech Gaps of Great Smoky Mountains National Park? Monica Poteat Dr. David Vandermast.](https://reader035.fdocuments.net/reader035/viewer/2022062216/56649da75503460f94a93d00/html5/thumbnails/6.jpg)
Experimental Set-Up
Species Used:• Lettuce (Lactuca sativa) • Red spruce• Fraser fir
Soil Treatments:• Top Soil• Beech forest soil
Watering Treatments:• Deionized Water• Leachate
– 1:5 ratio of beech forest leaves and deionized water
![Page 7: Does Allelopathy Explain the Scarcity of Spruce and Fir Trees in the Beech Gaps of Great Smoky Mountains National Park? Monica Poteat Dr. David Vandermast.](https://reader035.fdocuments.net/reader035/viewer/2022062216/56649da75503460f94a93d00/html5/thumbnails/7.jpg)
Treatment Set-Up
Top Soil/ dH20
Beech soil/ dH20 Top soil/Leachate
Beech soil/ Leachate
![Page 8: Does Allelopathy Explain the Scarcity of Spruce and Fir Trees in the Beech Gaps of Great Smoky Mountains National Park? Monica Poteat Dr. David Vandermast.](https://reader035.fdocuments.net/reader035/viewer/2022062216/56649da75503460f94a93d00/html5/thumbnails/8.jpg)
RESULTS: LETTUCE
Top Soil/ dH20
Beech soil/ Leachate
![Page 9: Does Allelopathy Explain the Scarcity of Spruce and Fir Trees in the Beech Gaps of Great Smoky Mountains National Park? Monica Poteat Dr. David Vandermast.](https://reader035.fdocuments.net/reader035/viewer/2022062216/56649da75503460f94a93d00/html5/thumbnails/9.jpg)
Days
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24
Ave
rag
e G
erm
ina
tio
n (
%)
0
20
40
60
80
Top soil- dH2O
Beech soil- dH2O
Top soil- LeachateBeech soil- Leachate
AAB
ABB
Average Germination of Lettuce
![Page 10: Does Allelopathy Explain the Scarcity of Spruce and Fir Trees in the Beech Gaps of Great Smoky Mountains National Park? Monica Poteat Dr. David Vandermast.](https://reader035.fdocuments.net/reader035/viewer/2022062216/56649da75503460f94a93d00/html5/thumbnails/10.jpg)
M
ass
(g
)
0.0000
0.0005
0.0010
0.0015
0.0020
0.0025
Top soil- dH2O
Beech soil-dH2O
Top soil- Leachate
Beech soil- Leachate
A
B
A
B
Treatment
Average ABM of Lettuce
![Page 11: Does Allelopathy Explain the Scarcity of Spruce and Fir Trees in the Beech Gaps of Great Smoky Mountains National Park? Monica Poteat Dr. David Vandermast.](https://reader035.fdocuments.net/reader035/viewer/2022062216/56649da75503460f94a93d00/html5/thumbnails/11.jpg)
RESULTS:RED SPRUCE
Top soil- dH2O
Beech soil- Leachate
![Page 12: Does Allelopathy Explain the Scarcity of Spruce and Fir Trees in the Beech Gaps of Great Smoky Mountains National Park? Monica Poteat Dr. David Vandermast.](https://reader035.fdocuments.net/reader035/viewer/2022062216/56649da75503460f94a93d00/html5/thumbnails/12.jpg)
Days
0 5 10 15 20 25 30
Ave
rag
e G
erm
ina
tio
n (
%)
0
20
40
60
80
Top soil- dH2O
Beech soil- dH2O
Top soil- LeachateBeech soil- Leachate
A
AB
BAB
Average Germination of Red Spruce
![Page 13: Does Allelopathy Explain the Scarcity of Spruce and Fir Trees in the Beech Gaps of Great Smoky Mountains National Park? Monica Poteat Dr. David Vandermast.](https://reader035.fdocuments.net/reader035/viewer/2022062216/56649da75503460f94a93d00/html5/thumbnails/13.jpg)
Mas
s (g
)
0.0000
0.0005
0.0010
0.0015
0.0020
Top soil- dH2O
Beech soil- dH2O
Top soil- Leachate
Beech soil- Leachate
Treatment
A
B
AAB
Average ABM of Red Spruce
![Page 14: Does Allelopathy Explain the Scarcity of Spruce and Fir Trees in the Beech Gaps of Great Smoky Mountains National Park? Monica Poteat Dr. David Vandermast.](https://reader035.fdocuments.net/reader035/viewer/2022062216/56649da75503460f94a93d00/html5/thumbnails/14.jpg)
RESULTS:FRASER FIR
Top soil- dH2O
Beech soil- Leachate
![Page 15: Does Allelopathy Explain the Scarcity of Spruce and Fir Trees in the Beech Gaps of Great Smoky Mountains National Park? Monica Poteat Dr. David Vandermast.](https://reader035.fdocuments.net/reader035/viewer/2022062216/56649da75503460f94a93d00/html5/thumbnails/15.jpg)
Days
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40
Ave
rag
e G
erm
ina
tio
n (
%)
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
Top soil- dH2OBeech soil- dH2OTop soil- LeachateBeech soil- Leachate
A
B
ABAB
Average Germination of Fraser Fir
![Page 16: Does Allelopathy Explain the Scarcity of Spruce and Fir Trees in the Beech Gaps of Great Smoky Mountains National Park? Monica Poteat Dr. David Vandermast.](https://reader035.fdocuments.net/reader035/viewer/2022062216/56649da75503460f94a93d00/html5/thumbnails/16.jpg)
Mas
s (g
)
0.000
0.001
0.002
0.003
0.004
0.005
0.006
Top soil- dH2O
Beech soil- dH2O
Top soil- Leachate
Beech soil-Leachate
Treatment
A
B
AB
C
Average ABM of Fraser Fir
![Page 17: Does Allelopathy Explain the Scarcity of Spruce and Fir Trees in the Beech Gaps of Great Smoky Mountains National Park? Monica Poteat Dr. David Vandermast.](https://reader035.fdocuments.net/reader035/viewer/2022062216/56649da75503460f94a93d00/html5/thumbnails/17.jpg)
Important Findings
• Leachate germinations all lower than deionized water (even if not statistically significant)
• Leachate and/or beech soil treatments significantly reduce germination and/or mass– Different species respond differently to allelogens
• Sickly seedlings
![Page 18: Does Allelopathy Explain the Scarcity of Spruce and Fir Trees in the Beech Gaps of Great Smoky Mountains National Park? Monica Poteat Dr. David Vandermast.](https://reader035.fdocuments.net/reader035/viewer/2022062216/56649da75503460f94a93d00/html5/thumbnails/18.jpg)
What our findings mean in relation to...
• Other allelopathic studies– American beech leaf leachate
has been shown to lower leaf area and biomass of the seedlings of sugar maple (Hane et al. 2003)
• Competitive Exclusion
• Beech Bark Disease
![Page 19: Does Allelopathy Explain the Scarcity of Spruce and Fir Trees in the Beech Gaps of Great Smoky Mountains National Park? Monica Poteat Dr. David Vandermast.](https://reader035.fdocuments.net/reader035/viewer/2022062216/56649da75503460f94a93d00/html5/thumbnails/19.jpg)
• Beech are a foundation species within gaps– Define community– Create stable conditions
Why is this important?
http://fisc.er.usgs.gov/c1258_Dodd/circ1258_8a.jpg
![Page 20: Does Allelopathy Explain the Scarcity of Spruce and Fir Trees in the Beech Gaps of Great Smoky Mountains National Park? Monica Poteat Dr. David Vandermast.](https://reader035.fdocuments.net/reader035/viewer/2022062216/56649da75503460f94a93d00/html5/thumbnails/20.jpg)
Conclusion
Allelopathy is an important mechanism through which beech forests competitively exclude the
red spruce and Fraser fir.
![Page 21: Does Allelopathy Explain the Scarcity of Spruce and Fir Trees in the Beech Gaps of Great Smoky Mountains National Park? Monica Poteat Dr. David Vandermast.](https://reader035.fdocuments.net/reader035/viewer/2022062216/56649da75503460f94a93d00/html5/thumbnails/21.jpg)
Acknowledgments
• Dr. Vandermast• Elon University SURE program• Elon College Fellows Program• Great Smoky Mountains National Park (permits)
– Keith Langdon, Supervisor of Science Projects– Dr. Michael Jenkins, Ecologist
• Judy Poteat