'Greedy' Trees Still Leave Room For The Little Plants

From New Scientist:

While they might hog the bulk of the resources, trees still leave enough "crumbs" for smaller neighbouring plants to eke out a living, researchers say. The finding contradicts previous notions of plant competition and adds support to a new view of how a plant's size affects the survival and composition of its neighbouring species.

Previously, it was assumed that trees and other large plants monopolized sunlight, water, and other available resources, limiting the number of smaller plant species that can coexist in their vicinity. Research in greenhouse settings supported this view.

Now a study of forests in southern British Columbia shows that larger plants do not always correlate with fewer species in an area.

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