Size hierarchies in experimental populations of annual plants.

TY - JOUR

T1 - Size hierarchies in experimental populations of annual plants.

AU - Weiner, J.

PY - 1985/1/1

Y1 - 1985/1/1

N2 - The effects of inter- and intraspecific interference on size hierarchies (size inequalities) were investigated in populations of Trifolium incarnatum and Lolium multiflorum. Size inequality always increased with increasing density. Plants grown individually showed very low inequality, while plants grown at the highest density had the most developed hierarchies. Size inequality usually increased with an increase in productivity when interference was occurring. When dominant in mixtures, Lolium showed less size inequality than in monoculture, while the suppressed species, Trifolium, usually displayed an increase in equality. Results support a model of plant interference in which large plants are able to upsurp resources and suppress the growth of smaller individuals more than they themselves are suppressed. While interference decreases mean plant mass, it increases both the relative variation in plant mass and the concentration of mass within a small fraction of the population. -from Author

AB - The effects of inter- and intraspecific interference on size hierarchies (size inequalities) were investigated in populations of Trifolium incarnatum and Lolium multiflorum. Size inequality always increased with increasing density. Plants grown individually showed very low inequality, while plants grown at the highest density had the most developed hierarchies. Size inequality usually increased with an increase in productivity when interference was occurring. When dominant in mixtures, Lolium showed less size inequality than in monoculture, while the suppressed species, Trifolium, usually displayed an increase in equality. Results support a model of plant interference in which large plants are able to upsurp resources and suppress the growth of smaller individuals more than they themselves are suppressed. While interference decreases mean plant mass, it increases both the relative variation in plant mass and the concentration of mass within a small fraction of the population. -from Author

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0022242834&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.2307/1940535

DO - 10.2307/1940535

M3 - Journal article

AN - SCOPUS:0022242834

SN - 0012-9658

VL - 66

SP - 743

EP - 752

JO - Ecology

JF - Ecology

IS - 3

ER -