Publication Details |
| Category | Text Publication |
| Reference Category | Journals |
| DOI | 10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2010.06.011 |
| Title (Primary) | What enables coexistence in plant communities? Weak versus strong species traits and the role of local processes |
| Author | Dislich, C.; Johst, K.; Huth, A. |
| Source Titel | Ecological Modelling |
| Year | 2010 |
| Department | OESA |
| Volume | 221 |
| Issue | 19 |
| Page From | 2227 |
| Page To | 2236 |
| Language | englisch |
| Keywords | Coexistence; Competition; Trade-off; Plant community; Forest dynamics; Simulation model |
| Abstract | Explaining the coexistence of species that basically depend on the same resources has been a brainteaser for generations of ecologists. Different mechanisms have been proposed to facilitate coexistence in plant communities, where space is an important resource. Using a stochastic cellular automaton simulation model we analyze - separately and in combination - the influence of different species traits and processes which alter local competition on the coexistence of plant species over a fixed time horizon. We show that different species traits operate on different time scales in competition. We therefore suggest the concept of weak versus strong traits according to short- or long-term exclusion of species differing in these traits. As a consequence, highly non-linear trade-offs between weak and strong traits can result in communities. Furthermore, we found that trade-offs based on physiological species traits such as plant lifetime, dispersal range and plant growth, did not support broad and long-term coexistence-further processes such as density-dependent mortality and light-dependent colonization were necessary. This suggests that coexistence in plant communities requires (stabilizing) local processes to support the (equalizing) trade-offs in species traits. |
| Persistent UFZ Identifier | https://www.ufz.de/index.php?en=20939&ufzPublicationIdentifier=9884 |
| Dislich, C., Johst, K., Huth, A. (2010): What enables coexistence in plant communities? Weak versus strong species traits and the role of local processes Ecol. Model. 221 (19), 2227 - 2236 10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2010.06.011 |
|