Sm. Landhausser et Vj. Lieffers, COMPETITION BETWEEN CALAMAGROSTIS-CANADENSIS AND EPILOBIUM-ANGUSTIFOLIUM UNDER DIFFERENT SOIL-TEMPERATURE AND NUTRIENT REGIMES, Canadian journal of forest research, 24(11), 1994, pp. 2244-2250
The relative competitive abilities of Calamagrostis canadensis (Michx.
) Beauv. and Epilobium angustifolium L. were tested in two sets of rep
lacement series experiments. Both species were grown in monocultures a
nd a range of mixtures in 25-cm pots. In the first set, substrates wer
e held at either 9 or 21 degrees C; in the second set the pots were fe
rtilized at high or low rates. In the 21 degrees C treatment C. canade
nsis was more competitive than E. angustifolium (relative crowding coe
fficient for C. canadensis towards E. angustifolium was 2.88), while t
here were little competition differences in the cool soil conditions.
Under the cool soil temperatures, however, E. angustifolium showed hig
her vegetative reproduction than under the warm soil conditions. In th
e high nutrient conditions, C. canadensis was more competitive than E.
angustifolium (relative crowding coefficient for C. canadensis toward
s E. angustifolium was 5.84). There was little competition in the low
nutrient experiment. These experiments indicate that if both species c
olonize a site simultaneously, C. canadensis will outcompete E. angust
ifolium under most conditions, as suggested from field observations of
earlier researchers.