A new aspect of grassland vegetation dynamics: cyanobacterium colonies affect establishment success of plants

Cyanobacterium colonies significantly influence the establishment success of grassland plants, potentially shaping community diversity and species composition. The study found that Nostoc extracts reduced germination rates in five plant species and decreased fresh weight in invasive Hordeum jubatum, suggesting cyanobacteria can alter natural plant communities through chemical effects. Researchers synthesized existing knowledge on toxic cyanobacteria impacts and conducted controlled experiments using native alkali grassland species from Hortobágy National Park, Hungary. They prepared a cell-free water extract from field-collected Nostoc colonies and compared its effects with tap water on seed germination and growth over five weeks, measuring key variables such as seedling number, length, and biomass.

Sonkoly, J., Valkó, O., Deák, B., Miglécz, T., Tóth, K., Radócz, S., Kelemen, A., Riba, M., Vasas, G., Tóthmérész, B., & Török, P. (2017). A new aspect of grassland vegetation dynamics: cyanobacterium colonies affect establishment success of plants. Journal of Vegetation Science, 28(3), 475–483. Portico. https://doi.org/10.1111/jvs.12503