Recession of Tussilago farfara (L.) population from the agrocoenose as a result of cultivation abandonment. II. The effect of fallowing on shoot morphological properties and their biomass

Abstract

The paper is concerned with changes in morphological properties of <em>Tussilag farfara</em> (L.) shoots in the abandoned agrocoenose. An increase in the shading and a decrease in the available space, both caused by overgrowing of two grass species <em>Agropyron repens </em> (L.) PB. and <em>Dactylis glomerata</em> (L.), resulted in considerable changes of all analysed properties. In the first three years after cultivation had been abandoned both shoot height and leaf blade size increased, but later a decrease in both was found due to a growing intensity of interspecific competition. Mean values of other properties decreased with the fallow age. Under the conditions of strong competition the variation of <em>Tussilago </em>shoots increased while their above and belowground biomass diminished.