Intraspecific facilitation: generality, mechanisms and effects

Abstract

In the past two decades, an increasing body of literature has demonstrated the effect of positive plant-plant interactions (known as facilitation) is also an important factor for plant populations and communities. However, facilitation studies have been largely restricted to a community-level. The present thesis was designed to address the research gaps and make a first attempt to take an intraspecific perspective on facilitation systematically.