Competition effect on the resprouting performance of Erica multiflora after clipping

摘要

Competition plays an important role in structuring plant communities. A manipulation experiment was done eliminating neighbourhood vegetation in order to study the effect of competition on the resprouting vigour of the Mediterranean shrub Erica multiflora. The elimination of neighbours increased the number of resprouts and biomass of target plants. The differences between the competition and non competition treatments increased with time. These results suggest that during the early stages of regeneration after a disturbance, plants are less dependent on environmental resources, but later they compete with its closer neighbours.