Adjustment to the light environment in small-statured forbs as a strategy for complementary resource use in mixtures of grassland species

摘要

Background and AimsThe biological mechanisms of niche complementarity allowing for a stable coexistence of a large number of species in a plant community are still poorly understood. This study investigated how small-statured forbs use environmental niches in light and CO2 to explain their persistence in diverse temperate grasslands.