worldwide. It can also be defined as the direct
or indirect effects of one species on another, induced by organic
compounds produced and released into the environment. Allelochemicals could potentially be used as
biodegradable, environment-friendly herbicides or biocontrol
agents, because of their natural origin and short half lives in
comparison to traditional, synthetic pesticides. Species which produce bioactive compounds
harmful to other species could compete better and possibly achieve
dominance. Therefore,
allelochemicals could be one of the factors that determine the
successions in natural phytoplankton communities and harmful
algal blooms .