Inclusion of facilitation into ecological theory

Bruno, John F.; Stachowicz, John J.; Bertness, Mark D.

doi:10.1016/s0169-5347(02)00045-9

Cited by 2,466 publications

(2,588 citation statements)

References 49 publications

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“…These results are in contrast to the potential for higher competition in milder abiotic conditions (Bruno et al, 2003), such as on higher fertility soils. The positive effects of cover on serpentine soils could also be related to facilitative effects of neighbours in this stressful abiotic environment (Freestone, 2006;Spasojevic et al, 2014); for instance, higher neighbour cover may be associated with increased soil moisture retention due to higher soil organic matter.…”

Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 66%

Shading and litter mediate the effects of soil fertility on the performance of an understorey herb

Copeland

Harrison

2016

Ann Bot

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Background and Aims Soil fertility and topographic microclimate are common determinants of plant species distributions. However, biotic conditions also vary along these abiotic gradients, and may mediate their effects on plants. In this study, we investigated whether soils and topographic microclimate acted directly on the performance of a focal understorey plant, or indirectly via changing biotic conditions.Methods We examined direct and indirect relationships between abiotic variables (soil fertility and topographic microclimate) and biotic factors (overstorey and understorey cover, litter depth and mycorrhizal colonization) and the occurrence, density and flowering of a common understorey herb, Trientalis latifolia, in the Klamath-Siskiyou Mountains, Oregon, USA.Results We found that the positive effects of soil fertility on Trientalis occurrence were mediated by greater overstorey shading and deeper litter. However, we did not find any effects of topographic microclimate on Trientalis distribution that were mediated by the biotic variables we measured. The predictive success of Trientalis species distribution models with soils and topographic microclimate increased by 12 % with the addition of the biotic variables.Conclusions Our results reinforce the idea that species distributions are the outcome of interrelated abiotic gradients and biotic interactions, and suggest that biotic conditions, such as overstorey density, should be included in species distribution models if data are available.

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Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 66%

Shading and litter mediate the effects of soil fertility on the performance of an understorey herb

Copeland

Harrison

2016

Ann Bot

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“…Hence, the theoretical framework of modern ecology should be updated by including the concept of facilitation. This is not to say that current theory emphasizing competition or predation is wrong, but that it paints an incomplete, and in some cases misleading picture of our understanding of the structure and organization of ecological systems (Bruno et al, 2003).…”

Section: Facilitation and Restoration Ecologymentioning

confidence: 96%

“…However, facilitation can be considered as a successional dynamic that spans more than a single organism's lifespan. Facilitation plays a significant role in structuring plant communities (Bruno et al, 2003). The positive interspecific interactions (Hurlbert, 1971) and connectance (Williams and Martinez, 2000) among the diverse trophic levels are essential to many organisms' life history strategies.…”

Section: Facilitation and Restoration Ecologymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Among the various studies on facilitation (García et al, 2000;Bellingham,et al, 2001;Bruno et al, 2003;Franks, 2003;Gómez-Aparicio et al, 2004), the classic theory of Yarranton and Morrison (1974) of primary succession (the formation of natural areas) in Canadian dunes. The authors stated that, at first, open grassland with scattered juniper (Juniperus spp.)…”

Section: The Role Of Nucleation In Ecological Restorationmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Nucleation in tropical ecological restoration

Reis

Bechara

Tres

2010

Sci. agric. (Piracicaba, Braz.)

123

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Ecological theories of facilitation and nucleation are proposed as a basis for environmental restoration in tropical ecosystems. The main goal of this paper is to present restoration techniques based on the concept of nucleation, in which small nuclei of vegetation are established within a degraded land. The nucleation techniques (artificial shelters for animals, planting of herbaceous shrub life forms, soil and seed bank translocation, seed rain translocation, soil and seed rain translocation's seedling set, artificial perches, planting of native trees in groups, and ecological stepping-stones with functional groups) promote the landscape connectivity on two flows: inward: receiver connectivity and outward: donor connectivity. The nuclei development represents an alternative for restoration by prioritizing the natural processes of succession. This methodology appears to take long to generate vegetation corresponding to tropical climates, but is fundamental in the formation of communities capable of acting, in the future, as a new functional nuclei within the current fragmented landscape. This strategy also encourages greater integration between the theories and projects of ecological restoration for the development of human resources and to benefit the restoration practitioner. Key words: facilitation, succession, heterogeneity, landscape connectivity, degraded areas A Nucleação na restauração ecológica de ecossistemas tropicais RESUMO: As teorias ecológicas da facilitação e nucleação são propostas como base para a restauração ambiental de ecossistemas tropicais. Nesse "Ponto de Vista" apresentam-se técnicas de restauração fundamentadas no conceito de nucleação, onde pequenos núcleos de vegetação são implantados em uma área degradada. As técnicas de nucleação (abrigos artificiais para animais, plantio de espécies herbáceo-arbustivas, transposição de solo e banco de sementes, transposição de chuva de sementes, blocos de mudas procedentes de transposição de solo e chuva de sementes, poleiros artificiais, plantio de árvores nativas em grupos de Anderson, e trampolins ecológicos com grupos funcionais) promovem a conectividade da paisagem sob dois fluxos: interno: conectividade recebedora; e externo: conectividade doadora. O desenvolvimento dos núcleos representa uma alternativa de restauração que prioriza os processos de sucessão natural. A restauração através das técnicas de nucleação pode parecer muito lenta para atingir uma vegetação que corresponda ao clima tropical, porém representa uma base para a constituição de comunidades que, no futuro, poderão potencialmente atuar como novos núcleos funcionais dentro da atual paisagem fragmentada. Encoraja-se maior integração entre teorias ecológicas e projetos de restauração para desenvolvimento de recursos humanos e formação de restauradores ecológicos. Palavras-chave: facilitação, sucessão, heterogeneidade, conectividade da paisagem, áreas degradadas

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“…Here, we use the term local facilitation to describe this assortment of physical and biological mechanisms that impact the space below and close to the canopy of a plant. In this term, local stresses the spatial component of these mechanisms, and facilitation refers to their positive effects on other plants (Stachowicz, 2001;Bruno et al, 2003). Water is the main limited resource in arid ecosystems.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Local facilitation, bistability and transitions in arid ecosystems

Kéfi

Rietkerk

Baalen³

et al. 2007

Theoretical Population Biology

173

221

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Arid ecosystems are liable to undergo sudden discontinuous transitions from a vegetated to a desert state as a result of human pressure and climate change. A predictive framework about the conditions under which such transitions occur is lacking. Here, we derive and analyze a general model describing the spatial dynamics of vegetation in arid ecosystems considering local facilitation as an essential process. We investigate the conditions under which continuous or discontinuous transitions from a vegetated to a desert state are likely to occur. We focus on arid ecosystems but our approach is sufficiently general to be applied to other ecosystems with severe environmental conditions. The model exhibits bistability and vegetation patchiness. High local facilitation decreases the risk of discontinuous transitions. Moreover, for arid ecosystems where local facilitation is a driving process, vegetation patchiness indicates proximity to a transition point, but does not allow distinguishing between continuous and discontinuous transitions. r

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Inclusion of facilitation into ecological theory

Cited by 2,466 publications

References 49 publications

Shading and litter mediate the effects of soil fertility on the performance of an understorey herb

Shading and litter mediate the effects of soil fertility on the performance of an understorey herb

Nucleation in tropical ecological restoration

Local facilitation, bistability and transitions in arid ecosystems

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