Role of allelopathy in plant invasion and control of invasive plants

Abstract

Allelopathy plays important role in many aspects of plants invasion (plant invasiveness, resistance to invasive plants of native community and control of invasive plants). There is urgent need to understand the integrative role of allelopathy in plant invasion, resistance of native community and management/control of invasive plants. This review summarizes the role of allelopathy in plant invasion: (i). Facilitating the exotic plant invasion as indicated by “Novel Weapon” hypothesis, (ii). Used by native plants as weapon against invasive plants, (iii). Its potential to control exotic plant invasion by regulating the native species allelopathic effects on invasive species. It is crucial for the ecological restoration of invaded communities, to understand how the allelopathic effects of invasive and native plants counteract and which allelochemicals produced by natives are effective against invasive plants. We suggest that exotic plants invasion may be controlled by eliminating the allelopathic effects of invasive species or by enhancing the allelopathic effect of native species.