Competition in plant communities (#journal)

Mechanisms of plant competition for nutrients, water and light

Competition for resources has long been considered a prevalent force in structuring plant communities and natural selection, yet our understanding of the mechanisms that underlie resource competition is still developing.

This article discusses the roles of supply pre-emption and availability reduction in competition for nutrients, water and light when supplied evenly in space and time. Understanding the mechanisms of competition also reveals how competition has influenced the evolution of plant species. In all, understanding the mechanisms of competition increases the predictability of interspecific interactions and reveals how competition has altered the evolution of plants.