Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!snorkelwacker!husc6!cmcl2!lanl!nmsu!opus!rpeter From: rpeter@nmsu.edu (Peter Herman x5495) Newsgroups: sci.bio Subject: Re: Need info on Plants Message-ID: Date: 6 Sep 90 15:12:57 GMT References: <90248.174509DSH109@psuvm.psu.edu> Sender: news@NMSU.Edu Organization: NMSU Computer Science Lines: 20 In-reply-to: DSH109@psuvm.psu.edu's message of 5 Sep 90 21:45:09 GMT In response to Dave's question about plants to use for density dependent effects studies: Years ago as a grad student, I seem to remember using both one of the annual rye grasses (the type sold as "nurse crops" to protect newly seeded perennial lawns) and radishes in an Ecology class demo. You need to have a plant that starts to grow reasonably quickly if you really want to see the self-thinning and/or the -3/2 power rules at work. In addition, you don't want to use too much light or too much fertilization as these both retard the onset/severity of density dependent effects. If you don't already have the reference, White and Harper, 1970 (J. Ecol 58:467-485) is a good place to start and Harper's "Population Biology of Plants", Academic Press, 1977 has a very complete summary of the "classic" work in the area. rpeter@nmsu.edu Peter Herman Department of Biology New Mexico State University