Ubiquitous germination among common perennial species in response to facilitated and unfacilitated microhabitats

Our results show that benefactor species do not uniquely influence germination. Species-specific effects among beneficiaries largely explained differences in percent germination in the field, and the interaction between beneficiary species and microhabitat was significant for only one species. E. fasciculatum consistently showed significantly higher germination than more abundant species and showed reduced germination in the interspace. In the greenhouse, germination responses differed at each light level, beneficiaries responding most uniquely at full light. These results refine expectations from previous studies of facilitation at this site by showing that facilitation does not strongly enhance germination.