  The far-reaching consequences of ecological interactions in the dynamics of
biological communities remain an intriguing subject. For decades, competition
has been a cornerstone in ecological processes, but mounting evidence shows
that cooperation does also contribute to the structure of biological
communities. Here, we propose a simple deterministic model for the study of the
effects of facilitation and competition in the dynamics of such systems. The
simultaneous inclusion of both effects produces rich dynamics and captures the
context-dependence observed in the formation of ecological communities. The
approach reproduces relevant aspects of primary and secondary plant succession,
the effect invasive species, and the survival of rare species. The model also
takes into account the role of the ecological priority effect and stress the
crucial role of facilitation in conservation efforts and species coexistence.
