Why do rival plants coexist? The secret is in the soil beneath the oaks
How can plants that compete for the same resources grow in the same area without one driving the other to extinction? Ecologists have been trying to answer this question for decades, and a surprising new explanation has now emerged: the soil surrounding oak trees acts as a silent mediator that restr...
Image: Phys.org
How can plants that compete for the same resources grow in the same area without one driving the other to extinction? Ecologists have been trying to answer this question for decades, and a surprising new explanation has now emerged: the soil surrounding oak trees acts as a silent mediator that restrains the dominant species and gives an advantage to weaker ones, allowing both to coexist.
Originally published at Phys.org
