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Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences

Effects Of Chemical Variation On Competition And Insect Communities Across Solidago Altissima Genotypes, Bryan Scott Foster Ii Jan 2020

Effects Of Chemical Variation On Competition And Insect Communities Across Solidago Altissima Genotypes, Bryan Scott Foster Ii

Masters Theses

Individuals within a plant species can differ greatly from one another, especially regarding the range of chemical compounds produced. However, the functions of many of these chemicals are unknown, but likely include defenses against herbivores, attractants for pollinators and seed dispersers, as well as mechanisms for resource competition. To assess the effects of foliar chemical composition on interspecific plant competition and insect communities, I conducted a common garden and greenhouse experiment using 24 genotypes of the allelopathic species Solidago altissima for which the foliar chemistry had been characterized. Using these data and chemical profiles of S. altissima, I linked …


The Effects Of Berry Extracts From Phytolacca Americana (Pokeweed) On Seed Germination, Kevin Blake Anderson Mar 1995

The Effects Of Berry Extracts From Phytolacca Americana (Pokeweed) On Seed Germination, Kevin Blake Anderson

Honors Theses

Extracts from the berries of Phytolacca americana (Pokeweed) exhibit the ability to inhibit germination of a variety of seeds, including its own. This inhibition has been shown to be effective even in dilute samples of the extracts. However, it is not known whether the germination inhibition caused by these extracts is induced by physical or by chemical mechanisms. This research proposes that the germination inhibition is induced by chemical inhibitors present within the berries. In an attempt to uncover the chemical agent(s) responsible for the germination inhibition characteristics exhibited by berry extracts of Phytolacca americana (pokeberry extracts), several separation techniques …


An Investigation Of The Allelopathic Effects Of Pokeweed (Phytolacca Americana L.), Angela Rambalakos Jul 1988

An Investigation Of The Allelopathic Effects Of Pokeweed (Phytolacca Americana L.), Angela Rambalakos

Honors Theses

Phytolacca americana L., or common pokeweed, is a tall, branching, perennial herb whose uses range from the preparation of certain medicines to being cultivated as a vegetable. At the same time, however, pokeweed is also a highly poisonous plant and certain precautions must be taken in utilizing this weed. The following paper opens with a description of P. americana including its habitat, range, structure, uses, and toxicity. The second part of this paper will investigate the topic of allelopathy - its history and its future. The final section of this paper involves a series of laboratory experiments conducted to examine …


The Allelopathic Effects Of Pokeweed (Phytolacca Americana) Berry Juice, Steven R. Parris Mar 1987

The Allelopathic Effects Of Pokeweed (Phytolacca Americana) Berry Juice, Steven R. Parris

Honors Theses

This paper is divided into three major sections. The first section is a limited overview of the field of allelopathy, from its origins to its potential future. Since the field of allelopathy is relatively young and there are only a very few texts on allelopathy available, much of this information is taken directly from journal articles. The second section reviews the publications concerning Phytolacca americana (pokeweed) and some of its close relatives, as well as information on a number of interesting and potentially useful compounds that have been isolated from them. The third section describes a series of laboratory experiments …


The Allelopathic Potential Of Rhododendron Macrophyllum In A Western Cascades Clearcut, Ivan W. Clark Jan 1979

The Allelopathic Potential Of Rhododendron Macrophyllum In A Western Cascades Clearcut, Ivan W. Clark

Dissertations and Theses

The purposes of this study were to determine if Rhododendron macrophyllum has the potential to inhibit the growth of other species through the production of water-soluble toxins which are leached out of its litter by rainfall, and to determine if this potential is realized in the field. The study was therefore composed of two part: 1) a series of bioassays to determine the presence an activity of water-soluble phytotoxins in R. macrophyllum leaf litter, and 2) a field study to describe vegetational patterns associated with R. macrophyllum in a western Cascades clearcut.