Progress in asymmetric light competition research

Light is one of the most basic requirements during plant growth, playing an important role in limiting plant development. This paper stay on topics which are critical problems about plant functional traits, the population size, species structure of plant community, biodiversity under the light competition, and emphasize on the effect of light competition on plant height trait strategies, neighborhood effects, zones of influence of plant populations, and dominant species change in communities by viewing recent progress in studies on of light competition. We conclude that light resource distribution models of asymmetric competition mechanisms between small and large individuals clarify that intra and interspecific light competition not only cause variation in functional traits of different plant species, but is the most important factor driving community species loss in areas of high productivity, as supported by grassland community researches. Therefore, for future research, in the context of global climate change, focusing on the relationship between plant functional traits and light asymmetric competition could provide new perspectives on species coexistence in ecological communities, ecological and hydrological processes that affect vegetation growth in response to warming, and the theoretical basis for future research on building stable community structures.