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Facilitative and competitive interaction components among New England salt marsh plants
John F Bruno1, Tatyana A Rand2, Nancy C Emery3
1Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States of America.
Peerj
|December 5, 2017
Summary
Salt marsh grasses and rushes provide crucial, often redundant, positive interactions for the forb Aster tenuifolius across its life stages. These facilitative effects are especially vital for Aster seedlings, ensuring their survival.
Area of Science:
- Ecology
- Plant Community Dynamics
- Interspecific Interactions
Background:
- Species interactions comprise facilitative and competitive components, determining net ecological effects.
- Understanding these components is key to predicting community responses to environmental change.
- Salt marsh ecosystems feature complex interactions between dominant vegetation and subordinate species.
Purpose of the Study:
- To quantify the positive and negative interaction components between *Aster tenuifolius* and three dominant salt marsh matrix species (*Distichlis spicata*, *Spartina patens*, and *Juncus gerardi*).
- To determine if these interaction components are unique or redundant across matrix species.
- To assess how interaction components vary across different life stages of *Aster tenuifolius* (seedling, juvenile, adult).
Main Methods:
- A manipulative field experiment was conducted in a New England salt marsh.
- The study quantified the facilitative and competitive effects of three matrix-forming species on *Aster tenuifolius*.
- Effects were analyzed across seedling, juvenile, and adult life stages of *Aster tenuifolius*.
Main Results:
- For adult *Aster*, facilitative effects from matrix species often outweighed competitive effects, resulting in net positive interactions.
- No significant variation was found in net or component effects among the three matrix species.
- Seedling mortality was 100% in neighbor removal plots, highlighting critical early-stage facilitation.
- Interaction strengths did not significantly differ between juvenile and adult *Aster* stages.
Conclusions:
- Dominant salt marsh grasses and rushes exert significant, largely redundant, positive net effects on *Aster tenuifolius* performance throughout its life cycle.
- Facilitation by matrix species is particularly critical for *Aster* seedling survival.
- Disentangling interaction components is essential for advancing community ecology and predicting responses to environmental change.
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