Summary
Five genotypes of Trifolium repens and Lolium perenne were collected as neighbouring pairs along a fertility gradient in a natural pasture. After vegetative multiplication, the 25 possible combinations of Lolium genotype x Trifolium genotype were planted in the greenhouse in order to investigate competition between the genotypes. The comparison of the five combinations whose individual components had been neighbours with the combinations of genotypes that had not coexisted before disclosed no difference in total biomass production over 7 months. However, the yield of Trifolium increased when grown with the Lolium genotype which had been its natural neighbour, while the latter showed a decrease in yield. This neighbour specificity existed even when carryover effects from the sampling site had been eliminated (preconditioning period of 18 months) and when native Rhizobium strains were not present (inoculation with a non-native strain). The complex pattern of neighbour specificity with time indicated the importance of environmental conditions for its outcome. These results are a further confirmation of positive effects on the growth of Trifolium repens when grown together with its natural neighbour. They are discussed in the context of coexistence and coevolution
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Aarssen LW (1983) Ecological combining ability and competitive combining ability in plants: Toward a general evolutionary theory of coexistence in systems of competition. Am Nat 122: 707–731
Aarssen LW (1989) Competitive ability and species coexistence: a “plant's-eye” view. Oikos 56: 386–401
Aarssen LW, Turkington R (1985) Biotic specialization between neighbouring genotypes in Lolium perenne and Trifolium repens from a permanent pasture. J Ecol 73: 605–614
Chanway CP, Holl FB, Turkington R (1989) Effect of Rhizobium leguminosarum biovar trifolii genotype on specificity between Trifolium repens and Lolium perenne. J Ecol 77: 1150–1160
Evans DR, Hill J, Williams TA, Rhodes I (1985) Effects of coexistence on the performance of white clover-perennial ryegrass mixtures. Oecologia 66: 536–539
Evans DR, Hill J, Williams TA, Rhodes I (1989) Coexistence and the productivity of white clover-perennial ryegrass mixtures. Theoi Appl Genet 77: 65–70
Evans RC, Turkington R (1988) Maintenance of morphological variation in a biotically patchy environment. New Phytol 109: 369–376
Gliddon C, Trathan P (1985) Interactions between white clover and perennial ryegrass in an old permanent pasture. In: Haeck J, Woldendorp JW (eds) Structure and functioning of plant population II. North-Holland Publishing Company, Amsterdam, pp 161–169
hammer PA, Tibbits TW, Langhans RW, McFarlane JC (1978) Base-line growth studies of “Grand Rapids” lettuce in controlled environment. J Am Soc Hortic Sci 103: 649–655
Hayward MD, McAdam MJ (1977) Isoenzyme polymorphism as a measure of distinctiveness and stability in cultivars of Lolium perenne L. Z Pflanzenzüchtg 79: 59–68
Hill J (1977) Plasticity of white clover grown in competition with ryegrass. Welsh Plant Breed Stn (Aberystwyth) Annu Rep 1976, pp 24–25
Hill J (1990) The three C's — competition, coexistence and coevolution — and their impact on the breeding of forage crop mixtures. Theor Appl Genet 79: 168–176
Janzen DH (1980) When is it coevolution? Evolution 34: 611–612
Lüscher A, Jacquard P (1991) Coevolution between interspecific plant competitors? Trends Ecol Evol 11: 355–358
Menchaca L, Connolly J (1990) Species interference in white cloverryegrass mixtures. J Ecol 78: 223–232
Michaelson-Yeates TPT (1986) Phosphoglucoisomerase variation in Trifolium repens. Genetica 70: 53–58
Rhodes I, Stern WR (1978) Competition for light. In: Wilson JR (ed) Plant relations in Pastures. CSIRO, East Melbourne, Australia, pp 175–189
Robson AD, Loneragan JF (1978) Responses of pasture plants to soil chemical factors other than nitrogen and phosphorus, with particular emphasis on the legume symbiosis. In: Wilson JR (ed) Plant relations in Pastures. CSIRO, East Melbourne, Australia, pp 128–142
Snaydon RW (1985) Aspects of ecological genetics of pasture species. In: Haeck J, Woldendorp JW (eds) Structure and functioning of plant populations II. North-Holland Publishers, Amsterdam, pp 127–157
Thompson JD, Turkington R, Holl FB (1990) The influence of Rhizobium leguminosarum biovar. rifolii on the growth and neighbour relationships of Trifolium repens and three grasses. Can J Bot 68: 296–303
Thompson L, Harper JL (1988) The effect of grasses on the quality of transmitted radiation and its influence on the growth of white clover Trifolium repens. Oecologia 75: 343–347
Turkington R (1989) The growth, distribution and neighbour relationships of Trifolium repens in a permanent pasture: V The coevolution of competitors. J Ecol 77: 717–733
Turkington R, Harper JL (1979) The growth, distribution and neighbour relationships of Trifolium repens in a permanent pasture: IV Fine-scale biotic differentiation. J Ecol 67: 245–254
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Lüscher, A., Connolly, J. & Jacquard, P. Neighbour specificity between Lolium perenne and Trifolium repens from a natural pasture. Oecologia 91, 404–409 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00317630
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00317630