Variation in plant responses to neighbors at local and regional scales

The American Naturalist
D A Peltzer, S D Wilson

Abstract

Differences in the responses of plant species to neighbors may determine their distribution among contrasting environments, but no studies have compared variation in competitive or facilitative abilities both within and among environments. We determined whether the responses of plants to interspecific interactions varied at large scales (between environments) and small scales (among sites within an environment) across a tree line. We separated the effects of above- and belowground interactions on seedlings of grasses and trees grown in prairie or forest using vegetation removals at several sites. Species interactions generally had no significant effect on transplant survival. Competition reduced seedling growth by about 33%-89% in both prairie and forest environments. Despite the strong suppression of growth by neighbors, environment and species effects contributed more to variation in transplant performance than did neighbor removals. Responses to neighbors varied among transplant species but generally did not vary significantly between environments or among sites. With vegetation removed, grasses grew significantly faster in prairie and trees grew faster in forest. Thus, in the absence of neighbors, species showed distinct pr...Continue Reading

References

Mar 1, 1986·The Quarterly Review of Biology·C W Welden, W L Slauson
Sep 25, 2008·The American Naturalist·H R Kleb, S D Wilson
Sep 25, 2008·The American Naturalist·D A PeltzerA K Gerry
Apr 1, 1998·Trends in Ecology & Evolution·M D Bertness

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Citations

Nov 5, 2020·Ecological Applications : a Publication of the Ecological Society of America·Andrew D Kaul, Brian J Wilsey

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