Sentence:  The reduction in soil water status and the cessation of sand movement are considered to be important factors in the decline of the "A. ordosica" community. The importance of allelopathy, and in particular <WSD>autopathy</WSD>, in preventing seedling growth of "A. ordosica" is also discussed. 
Meaning of the word marked with <WSD> tags:  An interaction where a species affects its own subsequent growth, especially negatively.