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Contrasted Responses of Two Understorey Species to Direct and Indirect Effects of a Canopy Gap

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Abstract

Positive associations between adult trees and understorey species have been explained either by direct or indirect facilitation. We tested both models by comparing the performance of two understorey species with contrasted stress-tolerance abilities Galium odoratum and Deschampsia flexuosa. Individuals of both species were transplanted in the four combinations of two treatments (gap and removal of an herbaceous competitor, Molinia caerulea). Our experiment demonstrated that direct facilitation of adult trees may explain the restricted occurrence of the shade-demanding Galium within closed forest communities. In contrast, the shade-tolerant Deschampsia was subjected to additional competition within the forest, likely because adult trees had a higher negative effect on light availability and a similar negative effect on nitrogen availability within the forest than did Molinia in the gaps.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Cemagref, Campus universitaire Grenoble 1, UR Ecosystémes et Paysages Montagnards, 2 rue de la Papeterie, BP 76, 38402, Saint Martin d’Héres, France

    Jean-Philippe Pagés

  2. Laboratoire d’Ecologie des Communautés, UMR 1202 BIOGECO INRA-Université Bordeaux 1, avenue des Facultés, 33405 , Talence, France

    Richard Michalet

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  1. Jean-Philippe Pagés
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  2. Richard Michalet
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Correspondence to Richard Michalet.

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Pagés, JP., Michalet, R. Contrasted Responses of Two Understorey Species to Direct and Indirect Effects of a Canopy Gap. Plant Ecol 187, 179–187 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11258-005-0976-x

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