Positive interactions among plants |
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Authors: | Callaway Ragan M |
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Institution: | 1.Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, 59812, Missoula, Montana, USA ; |
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Abstract: | Experimental evidence for positive interactions, or facilitation, among plants has increased markedly during the last 10 years.
Experiments documenting facilitation have been conducted in many diverse ecological systems, which suggests that positive
interactions may be fundamental processes in plant communities. Here, I review the evidence for facilitation, the mechanisms
by which facilitation operates, and the effects facilitation has on community structure. Facilitative mechanisms may act simultaneously
with resource competition or allelopathy, and the overall effect of one species on another may be the product of multiple,
complex interactions. Positive interactions may also determine community spatial patterns, permit coexistence, enhance diversity
and productivity, and drive community dynamics. Once viewed as anecdotal and idiosyncratic, facilitation is now contributing
to a more complete understanding of community structure and dynamics. |
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