Interfering with neighbouring communities: allelopathy astray in the tundra delays seedling development ...

• Main Authors: Bråthen, Kari Anne, Pilsbacher, Anna Katharina, Lindgård, Bente, Reiersen, Rigmor, Gonzalez, Victoria
• Format: Dataset
• Language: English
• Published: Dryad 2020
• Subjects: Empetrum; germination; allochthonous leaves; recipient systems; plant growth; snowbed; bioassays; Niche construction; Empetrum nigrum; Tundra
• Online Access: https://dx.doi.org/10.5061/dryad.t76hdr7zw; https://datadryad.org/stash/dataset/doi:10.5061/dryad.t76hdr7zw

1. Altered species composition caused by environmental and climatic change can affect the transfer of plant residues among communities. Whereas transferred residues are typically considered a resource in recipient systems, residues of allelopathic species may instead cause interference. 2. Evergreen dwarf shrubs, specifically the allelopathic species Empetrum nigrum are increasing in abundance in response to a warming climate. Empetrum has small, evergreen leaves that can be transferred to other communities when withered and lost from the plant. 3. We hypothesize that Empetrum can have allelopathic effects in the recipient communities of the withered leaves. We call this allochthonous allelopathy as opposed to autochthonous allelopathy, which is well documented in communities where it grows. 4. We measured influx of allochthonous Empetrum leaves onto snow-covered snowbeds, where they are easily identified within the debris. Next, we compared the bioactivity of allochthonous withered leaves with that of green ... : A readme-file accomplishes description of all the variables that are provided in four different datasets: 1 - counts of Empetrum nigrum leaves on snowbeds. 2 - bioassays on both fresh and withered leaves of Empetrum nigrum along with their content of secondary metabolites. 3 - data on germination of a set of species exposed to withered leaves of Empetrum nigrum in soil. 4 - data on seedling growth of a set of species exposed to withered leaves of Empetrum nigrum in soil. A link to a fifth dataset (abundance data of Empetrum nigrum) that is used in the related paper is also provided here. ...