Abstract:
To investigate how niche and fitness differences determine the outcome of species interactions and shape local biodiversity patterns, research has typically focused on either simplified experimental systems that test specific mechanisms or observational studies where processes are inferred from functional trait or phylogenetic patterns. While each approach has yielded valuable insights, both have drawbacks, and few studies have integrated these approaches to connect mechanistic processes with observed biodiversity patterns.
To this end, we paired a 3‐year neighbour removal experiment involving 22 species pairs with spatial point pattern analyses conducted in 8 spatially explicit 2 m × 2 m plots arrayed across a stress‐resource gradient in the alpine tundra of Colorado. By employing this dual approach of experiment...