Plants can have positive effects on each other. 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
diversity. But there have been no large-scale experiments designed to examine the …

A large number of recent experiments have demonstrated that 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 neighboring species. These facilitative interactions suggest that the current
paradigm of fully “individualistic” communities, which asserts that the distributions and
abundances of plant species are independent of other species, may be inadequate as a …