Scientists have discovered that, rather than competing with other organisms, the ancient resilience of ferns may facilitate and ease the path of other plants and animals in reestablishing themselves in damaged landscapes.
The NASA-supported study looked at the recovery of biospheres following major disasters like wildfires using a “facilitative” framework — one where organisms’ actions help each other — instead of the “competition-based” framework scientists have historically relied upon, a press release from NASA said.
“We propose that a competition-based view of ferns is outdated and in need of reexamination in light of growing research documenting the importance of positive interactions (i.e., facilitation) between ferns and other species,” the authors of the study wrote. “Here, we integrate fossil and modern perspectives on fern ecology to propose that ferns act as facilitators of community assemblage following biotic upheaval by stabilizing substrates, enhancing soilproperties, and mediating competition. Our reframing of ferns as facilitators has …