Facelli J M, Facelli E
Department of Biological Sciences, Rutgers University, P.O. Box 1059, 08855, Piscataway, NJ, USA.
Oecologia. 1993 Aug;95(2):277-282. doi: 10.1007/BF00323500.
We performed a field experiment to test whether the presence of litter produced by the dominant species in the first successional year affects the plant community structure in the following year. We removed the litter of Setaria faberii (the first-year dominant) in midfall, early spring, mid-spring, or late spring. Both the fall and early spring removal increased the biomass of Erigeron annuus, which became dominant, and reduced the biomass of S. faberii. In the fall-removal treatment more plants of E. annuus flowered, while early spring removal increased the biomass of rosettes (non-flowering individuals) at the end of the growing season. In the other treatments and in the control S. faberii retained dominance, but its biomass was the highest in mid-spring removal plots. The removal of litter of S. faberii in the fall and in early spring allowed E. annuus to pre-empt the site and dominate the community. When litter was not removed, it strongly hindered the growth of E. annuus, favoring S. faberii. These results highlight the importance of litter as a historical factor linking interactions across successive generations, and controlling the community structure.
我们进行了一项田间试验，以测试在演替第一年由优势物种产生的凋落物是否会影响次年的植物群落结构。我们在秋中、早春、仲春或晚春去除了法氏狗尾草（第一年的优势种）的凋落物。秋季和早春去除凋落物均增加了成为优势种的一年蓬的生物量，并降低了法氏狗尾草的生物量。在秋季去除处理中，更多的一年蓬植株开花，而早春去除则增加了生长季末莲座丛（未开花个体）的生物量。在其他处理和对照中，法氏狗尾草保持优势，但在仲春去除的地块中其生物量最高。秋季和早春去除法氏狗尾草的凋落物使一年蓬能够抢占场地并主导群落。当不去除凋落物时，它会强烈阻碍一年蓬的生长，有利于法氏狗尾草。这些结果凸显了凋落物作为连接连续世代相互作用并控制群落结构的历史因素的重要性。
