A PRELIMINARY STUDY ON ALLELOPATHIC ACTIVITY OF BRYOPHYTES UNDER LABORATORY CONDITIONS USING THE SANDWICH METHOD

Abstract

  Allelopathy is a common phenomenon in plants, with environmental impacts in ecosystems through interference of allelochemicals that inhibit or promote growth and activity of other life. In this study, allelopathic activities of bryophytes, represented by Sphagnum palustre, Racomitrium japonicum, Dicranum japonicum, and Hypnum plumaeforme, were detected using the sandwich method for bioassay of allelopathic effect for lettuce under laboratory conditions. Most of the representatives more or less showed inhibition or promotion of radicle elongations of lettuce seedlings. These results suggested that bryophytes also have allelopathic activities, and the influence would provide the ecosystems one of the factors for decelerating progressive succession in an early stage of succession of vegetation.