Contrasted responses of two understorey species to direct and indirect effects of a canopy gap
Language
en
Article de revue
This item was published in
Plant Ecology. 2006, vol. 187, n° 2, p. 179-187
Springer Verlag
English Abstract
Positive associations between adult trees and understorey species have been explained either by direct or indirect facilitation. We tested both models by comparing the performance of two understorey species with contrasted ...Read more >
Positive associations between adult trees and understorey species have been explained either by direct or indirect facilitation. We tested both models by comparing the performance of two understorey species with contrasted stress-tolerance abilities Galium odoratum and Deschampsia flexuosa. Individuals of both species were transplanted in the four combinations of two treatments (gap and removal of an herbaceous competitor, Molinia caerulea). Our experiment demonstrated that direct facilitation of adult trees may explain the restricted occurrence of the shade-demanding Galium within closed forest communities. In contrast, the shade-tolerant Deschampsia was subjected to additional competition within the forest, likely because adult trees had a higher negative effect on light availability and a similar negative effect on nitrogen availability within the forest than did Molinia in the gaps.Read less <
Keywords
NITROGEN
English Keywords
COMPETITION INTENSITY
FOREST COMMUNITIES
INDIRECT EFFECTS
LIGHT
Italian Keywords
MOLINIA CAERULEA
Origin
Hal imported