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The study of the fine-scale structure of plant communities has mainly focussed on the role of abiotic factors. The information about the role of biotic factors is still scarce and consists mainly of hypoptheses. The current project is aimed to study the relative role of abiotic and biotic factors, focusing on two types of biotic interactions - plant competition, and symbiotic interactions between plants and arbuscula mycorrhizal (AM) fungi. In the descriptive stage, we shall investigate spatial distribution of plant individuals and of plant functional traits, inter-relation between plant distribution and spatial heterogeneity of local abiotic environment, as well as spatial co-occurrence of plants and AM fungi. The species composition of AM fungi in plant roots and in soil will be determined with the help of molecular methods (SSU rDNA). During the experimental approach, we shall manipulate both the heterogeneity of abiotic environment and of the strength of biotic interactions in the field. Both grassland and forest ecosystem will be included in the study, in forest we shall focus on two different successional stages: mature forest and young forest regenerating after clear-felling. The results of the present project will allow us to understand the ecological mechanisms behind fine-scale vegetation pattern, and also functional changes in the ecosystem following management (like clear-felling). |