Effects of Agathis australis (New Zealand kauri) leaf litter on germination and seedling growth differs among plant species
Agathis australis (A. australis, New Zealand kauri, Araucariaceae) exerts a substantial influence on soil properties and nutrient cycling, and mature specimens form an acidic organic soil layer beneath them that can be up to 2 m deep. We investigated whether phytotoxic compounds occurred in A. australis leaf litter and organic soil, and whether allelopathy may explain the distinctiveness of plant communities surrounding A. australis.