Chuchu Liu¹ , Zhonggang Li²

1 Cuixi Academy of Biotechnology, Zhuji, 311900, Zhejiang, China
2 Hainan Institute of Tropical Agricultural Resources, Sanya, 572025, Hainan, China
Author    Correspondence author
International Journal of Molecular Ecology and Conservation, 2025, Vol. 15, No. 5   doi: 10.5376/ijmec.2025.15.0024
Received: 16 Aug., 2025    Accepted: 28 Sep., 2025    Published: 10 Oct., 2025

This is an open access article published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Liu C.C., and Li Z.G., 2025, Survival and suppression: black walnut’s allelopathic strategies, International Journal of Molecular Ecology and Conservation, 15(5): 240-248 (doi: 10.5376/ijmec.2025.15.0024)

From the perspective of chemosensory ecology, this study systematically explored the sources and types of chemosensory substances in black walnut trees, the mechanism of action of juglanone and its target plant responses, and further analyzed its ecological functions in resource competition, community dynamics and symbiotic relationships. At the same time, the dual effects of the sensitization effect of black walnut in forestry and agricultural management were also discussed, as well as its adaptive significance in the context of global change. Research has found that by releasing sensitizing substances into the environment, especially the key compound Juglone, black walnuts can inhibit the germination and growth of surrounding plants, thus gaining an advantage in resource competition. This kind of "chemical war" not only affects the physiological metabolism and community structure of neighboring species, but also has a profound impact on community diversity and ecological balance. This study also proposed that in the future, efforts should be made to enhance the analysis of molecular target mechanisms, dynamic modeling of soil sensitizing substances, and the design of complex ecosystems. From the perspective of chemosensory ecology, exploring how black walnut achieves "survival and suppression" through chemosensory substances is of great significance for understanding the dynamics of forest communities and developing natural management methods in agriculture and forestry.

Black walnut; Chemosensory effect; Walnut ketone; Chemosensory substances; Ecological competition