Short-forbs can be suppressed by dominant plants through vegetative and reproductive interactions in an community

The manuscript details a long-term two-factor removal experiment conducted in an alpine meadow to investigate the impact of grasses and tall-forbs on the reproductive success of short-forbs. Through the assessment of various plant traits, pollinator visitation frequency, and seed set, our research reveals the complex interplay between vegetative and reproductive interactions and their synergistic effects on plant fecundity. This mechanistic dissection of species interactions reveals how anthropogenic drivers - particularly fertilizer inputs and climate warming - could accelerate the decline of short-statured species through amplified plant competition. By quantitatively partitioning abiotic versus biotic mediation of interspecific competition, we establish a framework for predicting biodiversity responses to global change scenarios. Importantly, our findings identify pollinator-mediated reproductive interactions as an underappreciated process complementing traditional resource competition paradigms in alpine ecosystems.