Summary: Parasite­grass­forb interactions and rock­paper­
scissor dynamics: predicting the effects of the
parasitic plant Rhinanthus minor on host plant
communities
Duncan D. Cameron1
*, Andy White2
and Janis Antonovics1

1
Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Alfred Denny Building, Western Bank, Sheffield
S10 2TN, UK; and 2
Department of Mathematics and Maxwell Institute for Mathematical Sciences, Heriot Watt
University, Edinburgh EH14 4AS, UK
Summary
1. Parasitic plants affect the growth, reproduction and metabolism of their hosts and may also
influence the outcome of competitive interactions between host species and, consequently, the struc-
ture of entire host communities.
2. We investigate the effect of the root hemiparasitic plant Rhinanthus minor on plant community
dynamics using a spatial theoretical model. The model is parameterized with data from pairwise
interaction experiments under two nutrient levels between the hemiparasite and three grass species

Source: Antonovics, Janis - Department of Biology, University of Virginia

Collections: Biology and Medicine