Construct · 2 fields · 3 citations

allelopathy: one construct, many systems

One name. One construct. Different systems. One map.

● invariant · one mechanism, two realms Nearest construct by meaning·not indexed
same chemical interference, dissolved in waterallelopathy2 SYSTEMSPlant allelopathyRICE · ALLELOCHEMICALSAquatic allelopathyGROSS · AQUATIC AUTOTROPHS

Spokes are the systems the one construct recurs in; dashed arcs are shared lineage. Tap a field for its definition, unit, and measures.

1984Plant allelopathy2003Aquatic allelopathy
2026

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Plant ecology

A plant chemically suppresses its neighbours

In plant ecology and forestry, allelopathy is interference in which one plant releases biochemicals into its surroundings that inhibit the germination, growth, or survival of neighbouring plants, as with the juglone of black walnut or the terpenes of some shrubs and trees. Rice's 1984 Allelopathy is the foundational synthesis, and Inderjit and Duke's 2003 Ecophysiological aspects of allelopathy set standards for showing that an effect seen in the field is truly chemical rather than ordinary competition for light, water, or nutrients. The referent is a chemically mediated negative interaction between plants, distinguished from resource competition, and it is the same mechanism that reappears among aquatic autotrophs.[1][2]

Unit
The inhibitory effect of released allelochemicals on neighbouring plants
Recovery means
Not applicable
Measured by
Established by isolating the active compounds, demonstrating release into soil, and showing inhibition at realistic concentrations while ruling out resource competition

Aquatic ecology

Algae chemically suppress competitors in water

The same construct operates among aquatic autotrophs: algae, cyanobacteria, and submerged macrophytes release allelochemicals into the water that suppress competing phytoplankton or other plants, shaping which species dominate a water body. Gross's 2003 Allelopathy of aquatic autotrophs reviews the compounds and the special difficulty of demonstrating allelopathy where dilution and flow disperse the chemicals. It is the identical chemical-interference mechanism as in terrestrial plants, transposed to the water column, and its referent is a chemically mediated suppression of competitors, which is why allelopathy recurs as a genuine cross-system construct rather than merely a shared label.[3]

Unit
The inhibitory effect of dissolved allelochemicals on aquatic competitors
Recovery means
Not applicable
Measured by
Shown by identifying released compounds, measuring effective concentrations in water, and demonstrating inhibition of competitors beyond nutrient or light competition

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Nearby constructs

body2 fields · 3 citationsjingle · one word, two constructscolumn1 fields · 2 citationsanchor · a standalone constructconstruct6 fields · 7 citationsjingle · one name, six constructs

References

  1. Rice, E. L. (1984). Allelopathy (2nd ed.). Academic Press. ISBN 9780125870559
  2. Inderjit, & Duke, S. O. (2003). Ecophysiological aspects of allelopathy. Planta, 217(4), 529–539. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00425-003-1054-z
  3. Gross, E. M. (2003). Allelopathy of aquatic autotrophs. Critical Reviews in Plant Sciences, 22(3–4), 313–339. https://doi.org/10.1080/713610859

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