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Updated: Jun 5, 2026
08:16
Experimental Protocol for Manipulating Plant-induced Soil Heterogeneity
Published on: March 13, 2014
Competition and coexistence in plant communities
J Bengtsson1, T Fagerström, H Rydin
1Section for Soil Ecology, Dept of Ecology and Environmental Research, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Box 7072, S-750 07 Uppsala, Sweden.
Trends in Ecology & Evolution
|January 18, 2011
Summary
Ecological competition structures plant communities, but its intensity and traits influencing competitive ability are debated. Distinguishing species
Area of Science:
- Ecology
- Plant Community Ecology
- Evolutionary Ecology
Background:
- Competition is a key factor structuring plant communities.
- Disagreement exists on conditions influencing competition intensity and traits conferring competitive ability.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore how distinguishing between a species' resource effect and its response to resource reduction clarifies competition dynamics.
- To reconcile classical competition theory with recent ideas on species diversity and coexistence.
Main Methods:
- Conceptual analysis of competition theory.
- Distinction between species' effects on resources and their responses to resource limitation.
Main Results:
- Differentiating resource effects and responses offers a framework for understanding competition intensity.
- This distinction helps explain how species with similar requirements can coexist.
Conclusions:
- The proposed distinction aids in resolving debates on competition's role in plant communities.
- It supports the view that multiple processes at various scales drive species diversity and coexistence.
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