Density-dependent chemical interference--an extension of the biological response model.
The response of plants to many phytochemicals changes from stimulatory to inhibitory as the concentration of the phytochemical increases. In this paper, a previous biological response model is extended to yield estimates of plant responses to changes in phytochemical concentrations in the case of density-dependent phytotoxicity. This requires a knowledge of plant densities, phytochemical concentrations in soil, and the relationship between the two. According to this model extension, inhibition is a probable outcome in density-dependent chemical interference, but phytotoxic effects may become stimulatory as plant density increases. In addition, low phytochemical concentrations in soil may cause an increase in the slope of the biomass-density relationship compared to the slope of control treatments. Experimental data from the literature support this model extension, and in several cases density-dependent chemical interference can be estimated mathematically.
Sinkkonen
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University of Turku, Satakunta Environmental Research Center, Department of Biology, Pori, Finland. aki.sinkkonen@utu.fi
D000222:Adaptation, Physiological; D000818:Animals; D018533:Biomass; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D007313:Insecta; D008954:Models, Biological; D010675:Pheromones; D010944:Plants; D011157:Population Dynamics; D011235:Predatory Behavior
D010675:Pheromones