Skip to main content
Log in

Analysis of interspecific competition in perennial plants using Life Table Response Experiments

  • Published:
Plant Ecology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The impact of interspecific competition is usually measured by its effect upon plant growth, neglecting impacts upon other stages of the life cycle such as fecundity which have a direct influence upon individual fitness and the asymptotic population growth rate of a population (λ). We used parameterized matrix models for three perennial plant species grown with and without interspecific competition to illustrate how the methodology of Life Table Response Experiments (LTRE) can be used to link any change in population dynamics to changes in any part of the life cycle. Plants were herbaceous grassland species grown for two years in a field experiment at Rothamsted Experimental Station, England. Interspecific competition reduced λ by over 90% in all species. Survival and growth were slightly affected by competition whereas plant fecundity was greatly reduced. Nearly all of the observed difference in λ between the competition treatments was explained by the fecundity terms, and more precisely by a large difference in the number of seeds, and a high sensitivity of λ to the germination rate. Whereas most competition studies focus on the measurement of change in individual fitness, our study illustrates how informative it is to take account not only of the effect of competition upon vital rates but also of how different vital rates affect population growth rate.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • L.W. Aarssen T. Keogh (2002) ArticleTitleConundrums of competitive ability in plants: what to measure? Oikos 96 531–541 Occurrence Handle10.1034/j.1600-0706.2002.960314.x

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • J. Canales M.C. Trevisan J.F. Silva H. Caswell (1994) ArticleTitleA demographic study of an annual grass Andropogon brevifolius (Schwartz) in burnt and unburnt savanna Acta Oecologica 15 261–273

    Google Scholar 

  • H. Caswell (1989) Matrix population models, first edition Sinauer Associates Inc. Sunderland, USA

    Google Scholar 

  • H. Caswell (1996) ArticleTitleAnalysis of life table response experiments. II Alternative parameterizations for size-and stage-structured models Ecological Modelling 88 73–82 Occurrence Handle10.1016/0304-3800(95)00070-4

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • H. Caswell (2001) Matrix population models: construction, analysis and interpretation, second edition Sinauer Associates Sunderland, Massachusetts, USA

    Google Scholar 

  • J. Connolly P. Wayne R. Murray (1990) ArticleTitleTime course of plant- plant interactions in experimental mixtures of annuals - density, frequency, and nutrient effects Oecologia 82 513–526 Occurrence Handle10.1007/BF00319795

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • S.F. Dobson M.K. Oli (2001) ArticleTitleThe demographic basis of population regulation in columbian groung squirrels The American Naturalist 158 236–247 Occurrence Handle10.1086/321322

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • M. Dodd J. Silvertown K. McConway J. Potts M. Crawley (1995) ArticleTitleCommunity stability: a 60-year record of trends and outbreaks in the occurrence of species in the Parz Grass Experiment Jounral of Ecology 83 277–285

    Google Scholar 

  • R.P. Freckleton A.R. Watkinson (2000) Designs for greenhouse studies of interactions between plants: an analytical perspective. Journal of Ecology 88 386–391

    Google Scholar 

  • M.B. Garcia J. Ehrlen (2002) ArticleTitleReproductive effort and herbivory timing in a perennial herb: Fitness components at the individual and population levels American Journal of Botany 89 1295–1302

    Google Scholar 

  • D.J. Gibson J. Connolly D.C. Hartnett J.D. Weidenhamer (1999) ArticleTitleDesigns for greenhouse studies of interactions between plants Journal of Ecology 87 1–16 Occurrence Handle10.1046/j.1365-2745.1999.00321.x

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • N.J. Gotelli A.M. Ellison (2002) ArticleTitleNitrogen deposition and extinction risk in the northern pitcher plant, Sarracenia purpurea Ecology 83 2758–2765

    Google Scholar 

  • R. Guàrdia J. Raventos H. Caswell (2000) ArticleTitleSpatial growth and population dynamics of a perennial tussock grass (Achnatherum calamagrostis) in a badland area Journal of Ecology 88 950–963 Occurrence Handle10.1046/j.1365-2745.2000.00504.x

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • F. Hansen V.E. Forbes T.L. Forbes (1999) ArticleTitleUsing elasticity analysis of demographic models to link toxicant effects on individuals to the population level: an example Functional Ecology 13 157–162 Occurrence Handle10.1046/j.1365-2435.1999.00299.x

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • C.C. Horvitz D.W. Schemske H. Caswell (1997) Structured population models in marine, terrestrial and freshwater systems S. Tuljapurkar H. Caswell (Eds) The ‘relative’ importance of life-history stages to population growth: prospective and retrospective analysis Chapman and Hall New York, USA 247–272

    Google Scholar 

  • K. Kiviniemi (2002) ArticleTitlePopulation dynamics of Agrimonia eupatoria and Geum rivale, two perennial grassland species Plant Ecology 159 153–169 Occurrence Handle10.1023/A:1015506019670

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Levin L.A., Caswell H., Bridges T., DiBacco C., Cabrera D. and Plaia G. 1996. Demographic response of estuarine polychaetes to pollutants: life table response experiments. Ecological Applications. pp. 1295-1313

  • M.N. Miriti S.J. Wright H.F. Howe (2001) ArticleTitleThe effects of neighbors on the demography of a dominant desert shrub (Am- brosia dumosa) Ecological Monographs 71 491–509

    Google Scholar 

  • M.K. Oli N.A. Slade F.S. Dobson (2001) ArticleTitleEffect of density reduction on uinta ground squirrels: analysis of life table response experiments Ecology 82 1921–1929

    Google Scholar 

  • C.A. Pfister (1998) ArticleTitlePatterns of variance in stage-structured populations: evolutionary predictions and ecological implications Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, USA 95 213–218

    Google Scholar 

  • M. Rees P.J. Grubb D. Kelly (1996) ArticleTitleQuantifying the impact of competition and spatial heterogeneity on the structure and dynamics of a four-species guild of winter annuals The American Naturalist 147 1–32 Occurrence Handle10.1086/285837

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • K. Rydgren H. Kroon Particlede R.H. Okland J. Groenendael Particlevan (2001) Effects of fine-scale disturbances on the demography and population dynamics of the clonal moss Hylocomium splendens. Journal of Ecology 89 395–405

    Google Scholar 

  • K. Rydgren R.H. Okland (2002) ArticleTitleUltimate costs of sporophyte production in the clonal moss Hylocomium splendens Ecology 83 1573–1579

    Google Scholar 

  • J. Silvertown (1980) ArticleTitleThe dynamics of a grassland ecosystem: botanical equilibrium in the Park Grass Experiment Journal of Applied Ecology 17 491–504

    Google Scholar 

  • J. Silvertown K.J. McConway Z. Hughes P. Biss M. Macnair P. Lutman (2002) ArticleTitleEcological and genetic correlates of long-term population trends in the Park Grass Experiment The American Naturalist 160 409–420 Occurrence Handle10.1086/342071

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • M. Walls H. Caswell M. Ketola (1991) ArticleTitleDemographic costs of Chaeborus-induced defences in Daphnia pulex: a sensitivity analysis Oecologia 87 43–50 Occurrence Handle10.1007/BF00323778

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • E.D. Williams (1978) Botanical composition of the Park Grass plots at Rothamsted Rothansted Experimental station Harpenden 1856–1976

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jonathan Silvertown.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Fréville, H., Silvertown, J. Analysis of interspecific competition in perennial plants using Life Table Response Experiments. Plant Ecol 176, 69–78 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11258-004-0017-1

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11258-004-0017-1

Keywords

Navigation