Forest regeneration failure

Herbaceous weeds were a major cause of regeneration failure in some stands following turn-of-the-century logging. Forest openings became dominated by species of fern, grass, goldenrod, and aster, which are present today, 60 or more years after logging. 

The failure of forest tree regeneration is a major problem in many areas. Although such failures are often climatically induced, there is a growing body of data that suggests allelopathy is an equally likely cause of failure. Complete elucidation of the exact role of allelopathy in regeneration problems awaits a better understanding of the pathway and fate of allelochemicals in the environment. A schematic approach to this problem is presented. 

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