Neighbour relationships in grass–legume communities. I. Interspecific contacts in four grassland communities near London, Ontario

A survey of four old grasslands near London, Ontario, showed that different legumes formed consistent relationships with different grass species. Each legume was strongly associated with a particular combination of grass species. It is suggested that each legume–grass combination is selected through the ability of the combination to utilize the soil environment more efficiently than random combinations of species. The ability of species to combine as well as compete is an important factor in maintaining the dynamic stability of grasslands.