Understanding clonal plant competition for space over time: a fine-scale spatial approach based on experimental communities

摘要

AimsCompetitive interactions are a determinant driver of plant community structure in temperate grasslands. In such dense vegetation cover, competition mostly occurs over free space, which conditions niche availability. Clonal growth determines how plants exploit horizontal space, by (1) exploring and colonizing free patches (guerilla form) or (2) resisting competitors through space consolidation (phalanx form), with possible intermediate strategies. Few studies have explored the dynamics of co-existing plants belonging to different clonal strategies. Models predict that guerilla forms may be advantageous during the early stages of succession, whereas phalanx forms are expected to be better competitors over time. We investigated whether these predictions are true under experimental conditions and explored possible mechanisms that promote clonal plant co-existence.