Are exotic species more allelopathic than natives?
Susan K. Hall (Gretchen A. Meyer) Department of Conservation and Environmental Science, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, 3209 N. Maryland Ave. Lapham Hall, 393, Milwaukee, WI 53211 Invasive species have a substantial negative impact on biodiversity, second only to habitat loss. While there are some native plant species that can dominate in areas where they are found, in instances of invasion, exotics outcompete even these natives. A number of theories have been presented as to why exotics are so successful, but it has been only recently that scientists and natural resource managers have suspected that allelopathy may play a role. This research asks two questions: first, whether some native species may indeed possess allelopathic characteristics and then, whether introduced invasive species are more allelopathic than dominant native species. Species from the woodland edge community were tested, including three dominant native species (Smilicina racemosa, Geranium maculatum, and Viola
