2023/12/12 by Loewenberg, Nitzan Bochner, Curry, Jillian, Swan, Shannon
#Pacific madrone (Arbutus menziesii) #allelopathy #bark exfoliation #competition #fire promotion
paper · doi:10.21973/n30q1x
Plants modify their environment to better acquire resources such as light. Bark exfoliation, as seen in the Pacific madrone (Arbutus menziesii), though understudied, could potentially be a mechanism of gaining access to these resources. The Pacific madrone, a shade intolerant tree, successfully competes for resources even when it is neighbored by more shade tolerant trees, perhaps through shedding its bark. Here, we questioned the role of madrones’ exfoliating bark in its competitiveness and found the bark to have fire promoting and allelopathic properties. Exfoliating bark may be utilized by Pacific madrones as a way of reducing competition, as it promotes more sustained fires that remove growth around the madrone. Additionally, madrone bark could be minimizing surrounding competition through allelopathy. We suggest that exfoliating bark may serve the purpose of manipulating the madrone’s surrounding habitat, allowing them to better acquire limited resources in extremely competitive environments.