Usually the ability to withstand competition from conspecifics is studied separately from the ability to compete with other species, and little is known about the relationship between these two abilities. The aim of this research is to investigate this relationship using forest trees as an example. Objectives include the construction of a measure of intraspecific competitive ability, the arrangement of tree species according to this ability, and the testing of a set of alternative hypotheses about the relationship by comparing the arrangement with the ordering of the species by their interspecific competitive ability. This latter ordering is securely established in forestry. Because the ultimate test of intraspecific competitive ability is the rate of the decrease in the number of trees caused by a certain increase in their average, this rate will be considered as a measure of the ability. Among other methods to be employed are techniques relevant to ordering and comparisons of tree species. The research deals with basic concepts of ecology and is likely to advance our understanding of such notions as competition, species richness, and adaptation. By clarifying the confusion between tolerance and self-tolerance of tree species, this project should also provide a more sound basis for forest management.
