The Growth, Distribution and Neighbour Relationships of Trifolium Repens in a Permanent Pasture: II. Inter- and Intra-Specific Contact

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Abstract
A contact sampling method for detecting physical contacts between species in a permanent pasture is used to define the position of T. repens within the vegetation, and also to define relationships between other species. A modification of the method is used to examine both inter- and intra-specific contacts. The 2 methods together revealed seasonal variations in the relationships between neighbors. T. repens regularly failed to contact grasses as often as expected by chance, with the notable exception of Lolium perenne. Leaves of T. repens made contacts within the canopy that were primarily interspecific, whereas the grasses exhibited mostly intraspecific and intraclonal contacts. All species monitored showed asynchronous growth cycles. This finding is interpreted as a form of temporal exclusion which permits cohabitation of the various species. The study emphasizes the role of growth form and seasonality in determining the way an individual plant senses biotic pressures.

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