干旱区生态环境知识资源中心

This investigation focuses on intraspecific competition in a virtually pure population of Solanum forskalii Dunal in a semi-arid area. Intraspecific competition was inferred from correlation between nearest-neighbour distances and plant sizes. In addition, the effect of intraspecific competitition on number of leaves, biomass, reproductive output and soluble phenol content was also examined. Plant cover, number of leaves, biomass and reproductive output (number of fruits were positively correlated with inter-plant distance indicating that intraspecific competition caused reduction in all these parameters as the distance between nearest neighbouring individuals diminished. Soluble phenol content in roots and leaves was found negatively correlated with the nearest neghbouring distance between plant pairs. Accumulation of phenols in response to biotic interaction presumably provides a protective mechanism against the biotic stress of intraspecific competition.