Influence of Water Availability on Competitive Interactions between Plant Species on Sandy Soils

The gravimetric soil water content of four different successional stages of inland dune vegetation revealed pronounced seasonal changes and particularly a major drought period in the late summer. In order to analyze the effect of these seasonal water changes on the competitive interactions of two do...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Folia geobotanica 2000-01, Vol.35 (2), p.169-178
Main Authors: Weigelt, Alexandra, Röttgermann, Matthias, Steinlein, Tom, Beyschlag, Wolfram
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Biomass
Competition
Developmental stages
Dominant species
Drought
Dunes
Grasses
Interspecific competition
Moisture content
Plant communities
Plant growth
Plant roots
Plant species
Plants
Plants (botany)
Root development
Sandy soils
Seasonal variations
Soil water
Soil water content
Water availability
Water content
Water shortages
Water treatment
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Summary:The gravimetric soil water content of four different successional stages of inland dune vegetation revealed pronounced seasonal changes and particularly a major drought period in the late summer. In order to analyze the effect of these seasonal water changes on the competitive interactions of two dominant species (Carex arenaria and Deschampsia flexuosa) in one of these stages root development was compared under experimentally manipulated water conditions in a minirhizotron experiment. Under well-watered conditions, the root growth of C. arenaria and D. flexuosa was not influenced by competition, but was significantly reduced for C. arenaria at low water availability. Accordingly, the relative yield based on total biomass was significantly lower under water shortage than under well-watered conditions for C. arenaria, indicating higher interspecific competition compared to intraspecific competitive interactions. These results indicate (i) that soil water status is an important factor for belowground competitive interactions and (ii) that seasonal changes in soil water content may have a pronounced effect on the outcome of competition and, in consequence, on the structure of the respective plant communities.
ISSN:1211-9520
1874-9348
DOI:10.1007/BF02803095