Nature 242, 344 - 347 (30 March 1973); doi:10.1038/242344a0

Competitive Exclusion in Herbaceous Vegetation

J. P. GRIME

Nature Conservancy Grassland Research Unit, Department of Botany, The University, Sheffield

IN maintaining or reconstructing types of herbaceous vegetation in which the density of flowering plants exceeds 20 species/m²—the so-called "species-rich" communities, success is often frustrated by competitive exclusion. Here I describe an attempt to identify criteria with which to assess or anticipate the effect of competitive exclusion both at individual sites and in different types of vegetation.

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