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Positive interactions among alpine plants increase with stress

Nature volume 417, pages 844–848 (2002)Cite this article

Abstract

Plants can have positive effects on each other1. For example, the accumulation of nutrients, provision of shade, amelioration of disturbance, or protection from herbivores by some species can enhance the performance of neighbouring species. Thus the notion that the distributions and abundances of plant species are independent of other species may be inadequate as a theoretical underpinning for understanding species coexistence and diversity2. But there have been no large-scale experiments designed to examine the generality of positive interactions in plant communities and their importance relative to competition. Here we show that the biomass, growth and reproduction of alpine plant species are higher when other plants are nearby. In an experiment conducted in subalpine and alpine plant communities with 115 species in 11 different mountain ranges, we find that competition generally, but not exclusively, dominates interactions at lower elevations where conditions are less physically stressful. In contrast, at high elevations where abiotic stress is high the interactions among plants are predominantly positive. Furthermore, across all high and low sites positive interactions are more important at sites with low temperatures in the early summer, but competition prevails at warmer sites.

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Figure 1: Relative neighbour effect (RNE) at the 11 experimental sites.
Figure 2: Proportion of surviving target species in controls and neighbour removal treatments at high and low elevation experimental sites for all 11 locations combined.
Figure 3: Proportion of flowering or fruiting target species in controls and neighbour removal treatments at high and low elevation experimental sites for all 11 locations combined.
Figure 4: The relationship between relative neighbour effect (RNE) and the estimated maximum temperature in early summer (June in the Northern Hemisphere and December in the Southern Hemisphere) at each of the 22 experimental sites.

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Acknowledgements

We thank the National Center for Ecological Synthesis and Analysis, The National Geographic Society, the Civilian Research and Development Foundation, and the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation for financial support.

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Author notes

  1. Erik T. Aschehoug

    Present address: The Nature Conservancy, 201 Mission Street, San Francisco, California, 94105, USA

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana, 59812, USA

    Ragan M. Callaway, Beth Newingham, Erik T. Aschehoug & Bradley J. Cook

  2. Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, CEH Banchory Research Station, Hill of Brathens, Banchory, AB31 4BY, UK

    R. W. Brooker

  3. Station Alpine du Lautaret et Laboratoire de Biologie des Populations d'Altitude UMR CNRS-UJF 5553, University Joseph Fourier, Grenoble, BP 53, 38041 cedex, Grenoble, France

    Philippe Choler

  4. Institute of Botany of the Georgian Academy of Sciences, Kojori Road 1, 380007, Tbilisi, Georgia

    Zaal Kikvidze & David Kikodze

  5. Department of Botany, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, V6T 1Z4, Canada

    Christopher J. Lortie

  6. Ecosystemes et Changements Environmentaux, University Joseph Fourier, Grenoble, BP 53, 38041 cedex, Grenoble, France

    Richard Michalet

  7. Laboratorio de Investigaciones Ecológicas de las Yungas, UNT, CC34, Yerba Buena, Tucuman, Argentina

    Leonardo Paolini

  8. Estacion Experimental de Zonas Aridas, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas, General Segura 1, 04001, Almeria, Spain

    Francisco I. Pugnaire & Cristina Armas

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  1. Ragan M. Callaway
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  8. Francisco I. Pugnaire
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Correspondence to Ragan M. Callaway.

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Callaway, R., Brooker, R., Choler, P. et al. Positive interactions among alpine plants increase with stress. Nature 417, 844–848 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1038/nature00812

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