The Role of Allelopathic Interference in the Maintenance of Southern Appalachian Heath Balds

135 Pages·2016·1.34 MB·English

by  Robert Edward Gant

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Doctoral Dissertations Graduate School
6-1978
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SSoouutthheerrnn AAppppaallaacchhiiaann HHeeaatthh BBaallddss
Robert Edward Gant
University of Tennessee - Knoxville
Follow this and additional works at: https://trace.tennessee.edu/utk_graddiss
Part of the Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Commons
RReeccoommmmeennddeedd CCiittaattiioonn
Gant, Robert Edward, "The Role of Allelopathic Interference in the Maintenance of Southern Appalachian
Heath Balds. " PhD diss., University of Tennessee, 1978.
https://trace.tennessee.edu/utk_graddiss/1607
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To the Graduate Council:
I am submitting herewith a dissertation written by Robert Edward Gant entitled "The Role of
Allelopathic Interference in the Maintenance of Southern Appalachian Heath Balds." I have
examined the final electronic copy of this dissertation for form and content and recommend
that it be accepted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of
Philosophy, with a major in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology.
E. E. C. Clebsch, Major Professor
We have read this dissertation and recommend its acceptance:
Clifford C. Amundsen, John P. Witherspoon, Frank W. Woods, James W. Hilty
Accepted for the Council:
Carolyn R. Hodges
Vice Provost and Dean of the Graduate School
(Original signatures are on file with official student records.)
To theG rdautaeC ounci:l
I asmub mittinhge erwitha dissertatiownr itten by
RoebrtE dwradG anetn tlietd" TheR ole Aolfl eloptahci
Interefrencien t heM ainetnancoefS otuhenr Appaalchian
Heaht Bald.s"I recommentdh aitt b ea ccpeteidn p artial
fuflillmenotf t her equirmeentsf ort hed egree ofD ocotr
ofP hiolsopyh,w itha maojri nE colyo.g
E.E .C .C lbesch, MajoPrr osfesro
Weh aver eadt hisd issertatoin
andr eocmmnedi ts accetpance:
/
Acceptfeodr t heC onucil:
ViceC hnaclelor
GradtueaS tudiesa ndR esearch
� \ . . .T:�H ..E R OLEO FA LELLOTPHAICI NTERFREENEC INT HE
.... .�.
MAITNEANNCEO FS OUTHRENA PPALACHifu�
HETAHB ALDS
A Dissertatino
Preesntefdor the
Doctoorf P hilosophy
Deger e
TheU niversitoyf T enensseeK,n oixvlle
Roebrt wEadrGdan t
June1 798
ACNKOWLEMDEGNTS
Thea uthowri shetose xpressh iss inceer grtaitdue
toD r.E dwarEd .C .C lbeshc,D epratemnt ofB otany,T he
Universiyt ofT ensnesefeor hise nocuragementa nda dvice
in tphreep atriaon oft hidsi ssetratino. Thankasre also
exetndde toD rs .C lfiford C.A munsde,n HenryH .S hugta,r
andJ onh P.W ithersp,o Doenpratemnto fB otnay; Dr. Jamse W.
Hilyt,A grictuulrla Biology; andD r.F rankW .W odos, Depa­rt
mento fF orsetyr,T heU nivresity ofT ennesseef or theirs ug­
gestionsa ndc riitcimsso ft hism anucsrip.t
Apprceitaioni se xtnedetdo t heG raudaet Progrma in
Ecolyo,Tg he University ofT ennessee for thierm aetrial
supporto ft hiisnv estaitgino. Spceialt hnaksa los got o
Dr.s Henyr R.D eSme alndM arWk .B ienerr, Deparenttmo f
Boatny,f or thiera dvicea nd saissntcaed urintgh ed eevlpo­
menot ft hisi nvestaitigo.n
Thea uhtori sa lsgor atuelft oM r. Jamse CD.u rrett,
Buckrn CehemicaClom pany,f or techncial advicien t he
deevlopmenotf g as chormaotgraphitce hcnqiuse andf or re­
vieiwngt hea naltyicalc hmeitsry procdeureusse di nt he
isoltaion andp urfiication ofp hytoxtions.
Thec otnribtuino ofM rs .M airlynC aponettii nt he
prepartaion oft hism anucsrpitw as invlauabl.e
Thea uthro ise specaillyg ratfeult oh isw ife,K ath, y
forh er assitsancien d atac olelctioann d aalynsi,s document
prepartaion, andn umeroucson triubtinost ot hisr esearcehf for.t
ii
ABSTARCT
Alellpoathiicn treferenec seemst ob ea ni moprtant
mehcanisimn t hem aintenaanncdpe e rissetnceo fs outhren
Apaplahcianh etahb aldc ommnuitsi.e Copmartaivea nalyses
werec onudcteodn t woh eathb aldsl ocadt ien tBhales ma
Mountaniso fw estenr NotrhC aorlina tod istniguishp hyot­
toxic charaecritstsi tchaetnh ancep erisstenc.e Filed
studiesr eevaledt haotn ec ommuinty wasa mixedh eathb ald
doimntaedb yR hoddoednrocna tawbinese andt hes ecnodr e­
sembleda ni mmatursep ru-chreododnedrofnor esth etah
domiantedb y Rhdooedndnr moaximuma ndP icear uebn.s
Caffeica cid, gallica cid, genitsica ci,d hyrdoquinneo,
ph-ydroxyebnzoica cid, 2p-inen,e phlorogclinuol, rhodoedn­
drol, andv anililca cidw erei sloaetda nd idnetified from
canopdyr i,p leaves,l itetr, rotos, ands oilo ft het wo
heathb ald.s Biosaayssr unw itahq ueousl eahcateosf h eath
baldl ittearn ds oiplr oudcevdar yindgeg rees orafd cile
reducitoni nt hree tests pec.i eLsogn-etrm inhibition by
heathb alsdoi ls wasc onifrmed ing reenhosuee xpreiment. s
Fielsdtu dise deomnsrtatedt haetn vriomnetnalf orceisn ­
craesedt hea llelpoathice ffectievnesso fh eathb alsdoi ls
ons eedlign grwotha nds urvival.
Influxo fs eefdr otmh es urrnodiungf orestsw as
sufifcietn tos ustaini nvasion pressruea gainst boht heath
balsd.
iii
iv
Allelpoathici nterefrencdee lyass uccesisonalr e­
placemenotfRh ododendromanix mumh eaht baldsb yp aritally
suppressingt hee stbalimsehnatn dg rwotho ff orescto pmeti­
tors. Heathb alds domaitnedb yRh odoedndrno maixmmu cannto
maitanint hesmelvesa ndr epresentt ruly seuscisconaclom ­
muniti.e s
Rhoddoendrocna twabienshee tahb alds repsrenets tbale
commnuiitest haetmp loya lelloptahici netrefrencteo a rrset
succesison andm aianint thmeselves .C omumnitieso ft his
typcean bee xpecdt teop esristi nt hes uothernA paplcahian
forest.s
Inevsitgationso fs outhrenA ppaalcihan heathb alds
reevaletdht a thseec ommuniitesa rem ored iversaen dm ore
invlovde in thes ucecssoino ft her egionvaegelt atni tohna
has bene prevoiuslreyc ognized.
Key words: allelpoathy,i nterefrenec,h eath balds,
phyttooxin,s inhibitoin,p erisstecne, stbailit,y reislinec,e
Rhoddoendron,K almai,p helnos,A paplahican,s eedr ai,n
litterfall, root
biomsas, succseiosn.
TALBEO FC ONTENTS
CHAEPTR PAEG
I. INTORDCUTOIN.. . . . . . . . . . .. 1
II.A LLELOPTAHYA NDC OMMUNIYT STBAILIYT 4
II.I ALLELOPTAHICE XTRAE-TMABOLIETSF ROMK ALMAI
AND RHODODENDRON. .• . . • • . . . . 6
IV. SIET DESCIRTPION. • . . . . • . . • . . . . . . 9
Loactioann dT opogprhay. . . . . • . • . 9
Climaet .. . . . . .. . . . . . . . 10
Geology .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Soils . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1. 4.
LandU se Hitsoyr.• . • . . . . • 16
CatatsropihcE vent.s • . • . • . • • • . 17
v.
EXPREIMENTALME THOD. S. . . . . . . . . . . • . 19
Biaossya Techniqu.e . • . • • 0 • 19
Aquoeusl ecahaets. • • . • . • 20
Laboartoyr stnadards. • . o 20
CheimcalT echniquse o • • • o • o • • 21
Extrcationa nd rpifiucatoin• . • • 21
Paperc hrmoaotgarph.y . . . o • • • • • 22
Gasc hromoagtrpahy. . . . • . . . . . o 22
VI. FLORSITCI ANVDEG ETAITONALS URVEY. . . . . 26
Maetrialasn dM ethod. s• o • • • • o • • o 2• 7
Resultasnd Conlcusions. . . • o • • 27
VII. HETAHC ANOPY• • o • o • • o • • • • 0 31
CanopDyr ip . o • • • • • . . . . 32
Mateiralasnd metho.d s 33
Resulst and concluosniso 33
Litterfall. . • . . • . . • . • . • 35
Maetrialasn dm ethodo so o • 36
Resultasn dc onclusions• . 37
VII.I HETAHL ITTRE.. . . . • . . . . . 42
Maetrialsa ndM ethosd . . . . . . . 43
Resultsa ndC onculsions . . . . 44
IX. HETAHR HIZ OSPHERE . o o o . . . . . 53
RootS ystmes• . . • . . . . o • . . . . . . . 54
Maetrialsa nd methods. . . . . . . 54
Resultsa ndc onclsuionso • o . . . . . 55
v
vi
CHATPER PAEG
IX.( Cnotniued)
So1i. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Matreialsa nd method• s• . • . . . 59
Reslutsa ndc onclsiuons. . • . . . . 60
X. SENISTIVIYT OFF IR,B ICRH, AND HEMOLCK
SEEDLINSG TOP HYOTTOXI.NS• • . . . • . . 71
Maetriaalnsd M etho• ds• . • • . . . 71
Resultasn dC onlcuisons. . • • • . . . . 72
XI. GREEONUHSEI NVESTGIAITNO. .. . . . . . 78
Materiasl andM ethod.s . . . . 78
Resultsa ndC onculsions . . 80
XII .F IELIDNV ESTIAGTINO .. . 86
Maetrialsa ndM etohds . . .. 86
Resultasn dC onlcuisons . . . 88
XIII.S EEDRA IN. . • . . . , . . • . . . . . . . 94
Maetrilasa nd tMheod• s . . . . . . . . . 95
Resultasn dC oncluisons. • • • . . . 95
XIV. DISCSUSINO.• . . • • • . • . . . • 99
SitAe. . . . . . . . . . .9 9. . . . . . .
SitBe. . ... . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . 1 02
Southenr Aaplapchina HeatBhal d.s• . . . . . 1 03
Recommendaitonsf or FuutreR eseacrh. . 1.0 7
XV. S UvfAffiRiY • . . . . . . . . 110
LITERATUREC IETD.• • . . . . . 1.61
VIAT.. . • . . .. . • • . . . . 123
LITS OFT ABLES
TABLE PAGE
1 .M ontlhya ndA nnula PrecipiattionR ecordde on
Sitea nda t TSVtaA tion1 09,H aywooGdap ,
NorthC arloinaf roFme rbuar1y9 37 Through
4
Januayr 197 • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 11
2 .M aixmuma ndM inimAuimr TepmeraturBeense ath
TwoH eath BaldC anopeis. • . . • • . • . • 13
3. Rf Valuse andC oloRrea ctionosf L aboratoyr
Pheonl.s . . . . . . . . .2 3. . . . . . . .
4 .R elativeR etetnioVna ules ofP helnioca nd
TerpenoiCd ompoundsw ithR especttoa n
IntnearlS tnadrad.. . • • . . • . • 25
5 .S pceiesC ompostiioann dR erpesentaotniw ithin
HetahB adl Commuinteis • .• • . • . • .. • . 28
6 .D etcetoino fP henloicC ompounsd inM onthly
Canoyp Drpi Sapmlefsr mo TwoH eathB alsd . 34
7 .M eanM onthlLyit tefrall (K/GHAa) tS iet .A• . . 38
8. MeanM onthlLyit tearllf (K/GHA)a tS iet B . 39
9 . C heimcaSlu rveyo fL ittearlflC omponents from
RhododBe ndroCna twabiense andR .m aximmu o
Heatha !a s• . . . . . . . • .• . . • . . 4
10. ChemicalS urveoyf L itterf rmo Rhododendron
maxmium Bald. . • . • • . . • . • .• .. 4 5
11. Cheimcla Surveoy fL ittefrr mo Rhodoednrdon
catawbienes Bal•d • • . . • . . . • • . . 46
12. DepthD itsriubtioann dW eighotfU nderrgonud
Orgnasi nT woH eathB adls. . . . . . • . • 56
13. ChemiaclS urevyo fM ontlhyS oilS amplesT aken
froam Rhodoedndrno maximHuema thB al•d . . 61.
14. ChemicaSlu rveoyfM ontlhyS oiSlam plesT aken
froam Rhdooednrdonc atwabiense HeatBhal d• . 62
vii