Neighbour presence, not identity, influences root and shoot allocation in pea.
Competition is a key feature that structures the composition of plant communities. A growing body of evidence is showing that the presence of neighbours, especially belowground neighbours, induces varied morphological responses in plants. However, in many species, it is not known whether neighbour i...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Public Library of Science (PLoS)
2017-01-01
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| Series: | PLoS ONE |
| Online Access: | http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC5349671?pdf=render |
| _version_ | 1818273891839115264 |
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| author | Cory E Jacob Eric Tozzi Christian J Willenborg |
| author_facet | Cory E Jacob Eric Tozzi Christian J Willenborg |
| author_sort | Cory E Jacob |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Competition is a key feature that structures the composition of plant communities. A growing body of evidence is showing that the presence of neighbours, especially belowground neighbours, induces varied morphological responses in plants. However, in many species, it is not known whether neighbour identity also influences plant morphological responses such as biomass allocation patterns. To assess plant response to above- and belowground neighbour presence and identity, we conducted a greenhouse experiment consisting of conspecific (pea; Pisum sativum L.) and heterospecific (oat; Avena sativa L.) neighbours growing with a P. sativum focal plant. Four interaction regimes were constructed including shoot, root, or 'full' interaction (root & shoot) treatments, as well as a control with no interactions permitted. Our results showed that pea plants responded negatively to the presence of neighbours, and in particular, the presence of belowground neighbours. Treatments where belowground interactions were permitted (full and root interactions) had lower root and shoot mass fractions (R:S ratios) than where shoot interactions were permitted. Shoot and root allocation and R:S ratios of focal pea plants were not affected by neighbour identity, suggesting that neighbour presence, but not identity, influenced allocation patterns. The impact on P. sativum of a neighbouring competitor was more prominent than neighbour identity, showing that some plants may not discriminate between the identity of neighbours even though they are capable of responding to their presence. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-12T22:05:10Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-acf5ba77372a416d9a4669126353bf2c |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1932-6203 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-12T22:05:10Z |
| publishDate | 2017-01-01 |
| publisher | Public Library of Science (PLoS) |
| record_format | Article |
| series | PLoS ONE |
| spelling | doaj.art-acf5ba77372a416d9a4669126353bf2c2022-12-22T00:10:25ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032017-01-01123e017375810.1371/journal.pone.0173758Neighbour presence, not identity, influences root and shoot allocation in pea.Cory E JacobEric TozziChristian J WillenborgCompetition is a key feature that structures the composition of plant communities. A growing body of evidence is showing that the presence of neighbours, especially belowground neighbours, induces varied morphological responses in plants. However, in many species, it is not known whether neighbour identity also influences plant morphological responses such as biomass allocation patterns. To assess plant response to above- and belowground neighbour presence and identity, we conducted a greenhouse experiment consisting of conspecific (pea; Pisum sativum L.) and heterospecific (oat; Avena sativa L.) neighbours growing with a P. sativum focal plant. Four interaction regimes were constructed including shoot, root, or 'full' interaction (root & shoot) treatments, as well as a control with no interactions permitted. Our results showed that pea plants responded negatively to the presence of neighbours, and in particular, the presence of belowground neighbours. Treatments where belowground interactions were permitted (full and root interactions) had lower root and shoot mass fractions (R:S ratios) than where shoot interactions were permitted. Shoot and root allocation and R:S ratios of focal pea plants were not affected by neighbour identity, suggesting that neighbour presence, but not identity, influenced allocation patterns. The impact on P. sativum of a neighbouring competitor was more prominent than neighbour identity, showing that some plants may not discriminate between the identity of neighbours even though they are capable of responding to their presence.http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC5349671?pdf=render |
| spellingShingle | Cory E Jacob Eric Tozzi Christian J Willenborg Neighbour presence, not identity, influences root and shoot allocation in pea. PLoS ONE |
| title | Neighbour presence, not identity, influences root and shoot allocation in pea. |
| title_full | Neighbour presence, not identity, influences root and shoot allocation in pea. |
| title_fullStr | Neighbour presence, not identity, influences root and shoot allocation in pea. |
| title_full_unstemmed | Neighbour presence, not identity, influences root and shoot allocation in pea. |
| title_short | Neighbour presence, not identity, influences root and shoot allocation in pea. |
| title_sort | neighbour presence not identity influences root and shoot allocation in pea |
| url | http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC5349671?pdf=render |
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