Effect of Eastern Red Cedar on Seedling Establishment of Prairie Plants

To test the hypothesis that eastern red cedar (Juniperus virginiana L.) is allelopathic, seedling establishment of five herbaceous prairie species was evaluated by growing seeds in soil collected beneath and adjacent to a stand ofthis tree species. While four species showed no significant effect, the gennination of one species, finger coreopsis (Coreopsis pa/mata Nutt.), was significantly reduced. Since eastern red cedar is an early invader of unburned prairie, such an allelopathic effect, even on only a few species, is of particular concern in that it has the potential to hasten degradation of invaded prairie sites.