Allelopathy

We so cherish new growth, the young new inhabitants of the earth, but are we unique in this perspective?

Allelopathy

• this is the process through which an organism produces chemicals that have an effect on the growth and development of the organisms surrounding it
• these chemicals are called allelochemicals
• plants use allelochemicals to inhibit the growth of neighboring plants
• also used by corals, algae, bacteria, and fungi
• it’s a way of killing other plants so the allelopathic plant can reap the most rewards from the available resources in the environment
• they’ll even use it to kill off saplings that germinate from their own seeds
• merciless plants

Competition at its finest. They’re not the first organisms to kill their offspring, so who are we to judge?