Science Forums 2

[Michaelangelica]

Richard Lankau and Sharon Strauss grew monocultures of two genetic variants of an annual plant called black mustard, and also a mixture of three species.

One of the black mustard varieties produced high levels of a compound called sinigrin, which is toxic to other plants and to beneficial soil micro-organisms, the other produced low levels.

The researchers then introduced a “foreign” individual into each of these experimental communities:

• a low sinigrin plant into the high sinigrin monoculture and the mixture,
• a high sinigrin plant into the low sinigrin monoculture and the mixture,
• and a plant of a different species into the monocultures and the mixture.

Which would survive?

It turned out that the high sinigrin invader only survived in the mixture, while the low sinigrin variety only survived in the high sinigrin monoculture.
. . .

Preventing the erosion of genetic diversity within species may require maintaining a diversity of species in a community.
At the same time, we may need to focus on protecting high levels of genetic diversity within species in order to maintain diverse communities of species.

http://agro.biodiver.se/2007/09/main...an-experiment/