Are we missing the forest for the trees? Conspecific negative density dependence in a temperate deciduous forest.

ABSTRACT: One of the central goals of ecology is to determine the mechanisms that enable coexistence among species. Evidence is accruing that conspecific negative density dependence (CNDD), the process by which plant seedlings are unable to survive in the area surrounding adults of their same species, is a major contributor to tree species coexistence. However, for CNDD to maintain community-level diversity, three conditions must be met. First, CNDD must maintain diversity for the majority of the woody plant community (rather than merely specific groups). Second, the pattern of repelled recruitment must increase in with plant size. Third, CNDD should extend to the majority of plant life history strategies. These three conditions are rarely tested simultaneously. In this study, we simultaneously test

SUBMITTER: Barry KE 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8282035 | biostudies-literature | 2021

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature