Plants competing for nutrients

[rohnds]

Plants competing for nutrients

Other day I was in PetCo, and this person at aquatic center told me that certain plants secrete enzymes to kill other plants nearby so that they can compete for the nutrients.

I guess, the concept of Darwin's "survival of the fittest".


Is this true? If it is, what plant compete with others.




Rohn

 

[exhumed07]

I forget what the process is called but it is true to an extent. take pine trees for example. when they drop thier needles it is mildly toxic and for lack of a better word poisons the soil. that prevents other trees from growing there. and i have heard of this in the planted tank as well. what they mostly try to do is make room for them to spread. if they can kill the roots of a nearby plant and kill the plant, well thats more room for them to spread. or thats more light that they can get. i had a friend who had duck weed in his tanks. as soon as he planted jungle val in the tank the duckweed started dying off. i'm on my second dirted tank and have not had any issues that i would think were caused by this process. i belive in the planted tank it is a rare occurance.

 

[FreshyFresh]

Did they specify what aquatic plants were not compatible in the same environment?

Never heard of that one, but Petsmart/co staff aren't necessarily a beacon of accurate information either.

 

[FishDad]

Maybe the guy at petco just watched "The Happening".

 

[exhumed07]

I really wish i could remember what the process is called. but some plants do release chemicals to kill off other plants of different species growing nearby. i know i watched a video about it about a year ago on youtube. it was on the walstead method of growing plants in the aquarium. but i can't seem to find it right now. but for real plants do attack eachother in different ways to gain the upper hand.

 

[rohnds]

Did they specify what aquatic plants were not compatible in the same environment?

No. he never did. And that why I hope someone here would know a little more about it.
This is something that I have heard before but never paid attention since I never add live plants in freshwater tank before.



Rohn

 

[FreshyFresh]

I'm pretty sure it's any plant's basic M.O. to outgrow and overtake other plants near it.

A specific seek and destroy method? That's interesting!

 

[exhumed07]

I'll try harder to find the information tonight when i get off work. but the information is out there about both terestrial and aquatic plants.

 

[riseabovethesun]

I've often heard the term supply preemption for plants competing for nutrients. Regardless of the term, it is true that plants find ways to compete for nutrients. Whether that is through shading other plants; containing bacteria in roots; having longer roots; availability reduction; and so forth.

In any event competition among plants does exist and has certainly altered their evolution and I'm not sure if there are plants that don't compete per se, maybe they compete less, but not at all...I wouldn't think so, I'd assume those plants have become extinct.

 

[Lotus]

I think you're thinking of allelopathy. It's been studied to some extent, but you definitely may see similar things going on in your aquarium.

 

[exhumed07]

thank u lotus u found the term i was looking for. i knew it started with allelo or something like that but couldn't remember exactly lol.