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Canopy composition influencing plant patch dynamics in a Brazilian sandy coastal plain

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  26 May 2005

André Tavares Corrêa Dias
Affiliation:
Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Departamento de Ecologia, IB, CCS, Ilha do Fundão, Caixa postal 68020, cep21941-970, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
Henrique Leão Teixeira Zaluar
Affiliation:
Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Departamento de Ecologia, IB, CCS, Ilha do Fundão, Caixa postal 68020, cep21941-970, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
Gislene Ganade
Affiliation:
Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Departamento de Ecologia, IB, CCS, Ilha do Fundão, Caixa postal 68020, cep21941-970, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil Present address: Unisinos, Laboratório de Ecologia da Restauração, Centro 2, Caixa Postal 275, cep93022-970, São Leopoldo, RS, Brazil.
Fabio Rubio Scarano
Affiliation:
Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Departamento de Ecologia, IB, CCS, Ilha do Fundão, Caixa postal 68020, cep21941-970, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil

Abstract

Competition and predation have often been referred to as key forces regulating community structure. However, in the last decade great attention has been paid to the structuring role of positive interactions between plants, which occur when the presence of one species enhances fitness, survival or growth of another (Bruno et al. 2003, Callaway et al. 2002). Positive and negative interactions are unlikely to occur separately in nature (Brooker & Callaghan 1998, Holmgren et al. 1997), and the overall importance of positive interactions on community structure tends to be higher in resource-poor environments (Callaway et al. 2002). Moreover, this balance can be subjected to spatial and temporal shifts (Callaway 1998, Morris & Wood 1989, Tielbörger & Kadmon 1997) linked with plant ontogenetic development and/or changes on resource availability (see Callaway & Walker 1997).

Type
Brief Report
Copyright
2005 Cambridge University Press

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