Positive feedbacks amplify rates of woody encroachment in mesic tallgrass prairie
Over the last century, many grasslands worldwide have transitioned from a graminoid to atree/shrub-dominated state in a short period of time, a phenomenon referred to as woody encroachment.Positive feedbacks and bi-stability are thought to be important drivers of woody encroachment, but there islittle empirical evidence to suggest that positive feedbacks accelerate the woody encroachment of mesicgrasslands. In mesic tallgrass prairie, shrub establishment does not directly facilitate seedlingestablishment.