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Viketoft M, Riggi LG, Bommarco R, Hallin S, Taylor AR. Type of organic fertilizer rather than organic amendment per se increases abundance of soil biota. PeerJ 2021; 9:e11204. [PMID: 34012726 PMCID: PMC8109005 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.11204] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2020] [Accepted: 03/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Addition of organic amendments is a commonly used practice to offset potential loss of soil organic matter from agricultural soils. The aim of the present study was to examine how long-term addition of organic matter affects the abundance of different soil biota across trophic levels and the role that the quality of the organic amendments plays. Here we used a 17-year-old fertilization experiment to investigate soil biota responses to four different organic fertilizers, compared with two mineral nitrogen fertilizers and no fertilization, where the organic fertilizers had similar carbon content but varied in their carbon to nitrogen ratios. We collected soil samples and measured a wide range of organisms belonging to different functional groups and trophic levels of the soil food web. Long-term addition of organic and mineral fertilizers had beneficial effects on the abundances of most soil organisms compared with unfertilized soil, but the responses differed between soil biota. The organic fertilizers generally enhanced bacteria and earthworms. Fungi and nematodes responded positively to certain mineral and organic fertilizers, indicating that multiple factors influenced by the fertilization may affect these heterogeneous groups. Springtails and mites were less affected by fertilization than the other groups, as they were present at relatively high abundances even in the unfertilized treatment. However, soil pH had a great influence on springtail abundance. In summary, the specific fertilizer was more important in determining the numerical and compositional responses of soil biota than whether it was mineral or organic. Overall, biennial organic amendments emerge as insufficient, by themselves, to promote soil organisms in the long run, and would need to be added annually or combined with other practices affecting soil quality, such as no or reduced tillage and other crop rotations, to have a beneficial effect.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Viketoft
- Department of Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Laura G.A. Riggi
- Department of Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Riccardo Bommarco
- Department of Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Sara Hallin
- Department of Forest Mycology and Plant Pathology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Astrid R. Taylor
- Department of Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden
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2
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De Long JR, Streminska MA, Persijn A, Huisman HMI, van der Salm C. Biological control of Meloidogyne spp. in glasshouse-grown chrysanthemum. J Nematol 2021; 52:e2020-125. [PMID: 33829158 PMCID: PMC8015271 DOI: 10.21307/jofnem-2020-125] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2020] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Root-knot nematodes (Meloidogyne spp.) are a major problem in soil-based glasshouse-grown chrysanthemums. To combat root-knot nematodes in the glasshouse, the soil is typically steamed every 5-6 production cycles. However, this method is expensive, environmentally unfriendly and reduces resistance and resilience of the soil against pathogens and pests. Here, we added biological pesticides/a basic substance and biostimulants both individually and in combination to determine individual or interactive effects against damage by root-knot nematodes in chrysanthemums. We found that the application of biological nematicides derived from garlic extract, the basic substance chitosan HCl and biostimulants comprised of sea minerals and plant oils correlated with reduced root-knot nematode damage. These effects may have been due to direct effects against the nematodes or through indirect effects such as increased resistance and resilience of the plants. Overall, the biostimulants increased the total number of free-living nematodes in the soil, which could lead to a beneficial increase in nutrient cycling in the soils. Our results demonstrate that biological reagents show promise in reducing root-knot nematode damage in glasshouse-grown chrysanthemum and may lead to more resistance and resilient soils.
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Affiliation(s)
- J. R. De Long
- Wageningen University & Research BU Greenhouse Horticulture & Flower Bulbs
| | - M. A. Streminska
- Wageningen University & Research BU Greenhouse Horticulture & Flower Bulbs
| | - A. Persijn
- Wageningen University & Research BU Greenhouse Horticulture & Flower Bulbs
| | - H. M. I. Huisman
- Wageningen University & Research BU Greenhouse Horticulture & Flower Bulbs
| | - C. van der Salm
- Wageningen University & Research BU Greenhouse Horticulture & Flower Bulbs
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3
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Sternhagen EC, Black KL, Hartmann EDL, Shivega WG, Johnson PG, McGlynn RD, Schmaltz LC, Asheim Keller RJ, Vink SN, Aldrich-Wolfe L. Contrasting Patterns of Functional Diversity in Coffee Root Fungal Communities Associated with Organic and Conventionally Managed Fields. Appl Environ Microbiol 2020; 86:e00052-20. [PMID: 32220838 PMCID: PMC7237791 DOI: 10.1128/aem.00052-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2020] [Accepted: 03/16/2020] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The structure and function of fungal communities in the coffee rhizosphere are influenced by crop environment. Because coffee can be grown along a management continuum from conventional application of pesticides and fertilizers in full sun to organic management in a shaded understory, we used coffee fields to hold host constant while comparing rhizosphere fungal communities under markedly different environmental conditions with regard to shade and inputs. We characterized the shade and soil environment in 25 fields under conventional, organic, or transitional management in two regions of Costa Rica. We amplified the internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS2) region of fungal DNA from coffee roots in these fields and characterized the rhizosphere fungal community via high-throughput sequencing. Sequences were assigned to guilds to determine differences in functional diversity and trophic structure among coffee field environments. Organic fields had more shade, a greater richness of shade tree species, and more leaf litter and were less acidic, with lower soil nitrate availability and higher soil copper, calcium, and magnesium availability than conventionally managed fields, although differences between organic and conventionally managed fields in shade and calcium and magnesium availability depended on region. Differences in richness and community composition of rhizosphere fungi between organic and conventionally managed fields were also correlated with shade, soil acidity, and nitrate and copper availability. Trophic structure differed with coffee field management. Saprotrophs, plant pathogens, and mycoparasites were more diverse, and plant pathogens were more abundant, in organic than in conventionally managed fields, while saprotroph-plant pathogens were more abundant in conventionally managed fields. These differences reflected environmental differences and depended on region.IMPORTANCE Rhizosphere fungi play key roles in ecosystems as nutrient cyclers, pathogens, and mutualists, yet little is currently known about which environmental factors and how agricultural management may influence rhizosphere fungal communities and their functional diversity. This field study of the coffee agroecosystem suggests that organic management not only fosters a greater overall diversity of fungi, but it also maintains a greater richness of saprotrophic, plant-pathogenic, and mycoparasitic fungi that has implications for the efficiency of nutrient cycling and regulation of plant pathogen populations in agricultural systems. As well as influencing community composition and richness of rhizosphere fungi, shade management and use of fungicides and synthetic fertilizers altered the trophic structure of the coffee agroecosystem.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth C Sternhagen
- Department of Biological Sciences, North Dakota State University, Fargo, North Dakota, USA
| | - Katie L Black
- Biology Department, Concordia College, Moorhead, Minnesota, USA
| | | | - W Gaya Shivega
- Biology Department, Concordia College, Moorhead, Minnesota, USA
| | - Peter G Johnson
- Biology Department, Concordia College, Moorhead, Minnesota, USA
| | - Riley D McGlynn
- Biology Department, Concordia College, Moorhead, Minnesota, USA
| | | | | | - Stefanie N Vink
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Laura Aldrich-Wolfe
- Department of Biological Sciences, North Dakota State University, Fargo, North Dakota, USA
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4
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Bartkowski B, Bartke S, Helming K, Paul C, Techen AK, Hansjürgens B. Potential of the economic valuation of soil-based ecosystem services to inform sustainable soil management and policy. PeerJ 2020; 8:e8749. [PMID: 32231877 PMCID: PMC7100588 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.8749] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2019] [Accepted: 02/14/2020] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The concept of ecosystem services, especially in combination with economic valuation, can illuminate trade-offs involved in soil management, policy and governance, and thus support decision making. In this paper, we investigate and highlight the potential and limitations of the economic valuation of soil-based ecosystem services to inform sustainable soil management and policy. We formulate a definition of soil-based ecosystem services as basis for conducting a review of existing soil valuation studies with a focus on the inclusion of ecosystem services and the choice of valuation methods. We find that, so far, the economic valuation of soil-based ecosystem services has covered only a small number of such services and most studies have employed cost-based methods rather than state-of-the-art preference-based valuation methods, even though the latter would better acknowledge the public good character of soil related services. Therefore, the relevance of existing valuation studies for political processes is low. Broadening the spectrum of analyzed ecosystem services as well as using preference-based methods would likely increase the informational quality and policy relevance of valuation results. We point out options for improvement based on recent advances in economic valuation theory and practice. We conclude by investigating the specific roles economic valuation results can play in different phases of the policy-making process, and the specific requirements for its usefulness in this context.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Stephan Bartke
- UFZ-Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Katharina Helming
- ZALF-Leibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research, Müncheberg, Germany.,HNEE-University for Sustainable Development, Eberswalde, Germany
| | - Carsten Paul
- ZALF-Leibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research, Müncheberg, Germany
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5
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Wubs ERJ, van Heusden T, Melchers PD, Bezemer TM. Soil Inoculation Steers Plant-Soil Feedback, Suppressing Ruderal Plant Species. Front Ecol Evol 2019. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2019.00451] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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6
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Guerrero‐Ramírez NR, Reich PB, Wagg C, Ciobanu M, Eisenhauer N. Diversity‐dependent plant–soil feedbacks underlie long‐term plant diversity effects on primary productivity. Ecosphere 2019. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.2704] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Nathaly R. Guerrero‐Ramírez
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle‐Jena‐Leipzig Deutscher Platz 5e Leipzig 04103 Germany
- Institute of Biology Leipzig University Deutscher Platz 5e Leipzig 04103 Germany
| | - Peter B. Reich
- Department of Forest Resources University of Minnesota St. Paul Minnesota 55108 USA
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment Western Sydney University Richmond New South Wales 2753 Australia
| | - Cameron Wagg
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies University of Zürich Winterthurerstrasse 190 Zurich CH‐8047 Switzerland
| | - Marcel Ciobanu
- Institute of Biological Research Branch of the National Institute of Research and Development for Biological Sciences Cluj‐Napoca Romania
| | - Nico Eisenhauer
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle‐Jena‐Leipzig Deutscher Platz 5e Leipzig 04103 Germany
- Institute of Biology Leipzig University Deutscher Platz 5e Leipzig 04103 Germany
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7
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De Long JR, Fry EL, Veen GF, Kardol P. Why are plant–soil feedbacks so unpredictable, and what to do about it? Funct Ecol 2018. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.13232] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan R. De Long
- Department of Terrestrial Ecology Netherlands Institute of Ecology Wageningen The Netherlands
- School of Earth and Environmental Sciences The University of Manchester Manchester UK
| | - Ellen L. Fry
- School of Earth and Environmental Sciences The University of Manchester Manchester UK
| | - G. F. Veen
- Department of Terrestrial Ecology Netherlands Institute of Ecology Wageningen The Netherlands
| | - Paul Kardol
- Department of Forest Ecology and Management Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences Umeå Sweden
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8
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Kulmatiski A, Beard KH, Norton JM, Heavilin JE, Forero LE, Grenzer J. Live long and prosper: plant-soil feedback, lifespan, and landscape abundance covary. Ecology 2018; 98:3063-3073. [PMID: 28880994 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.2011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2017] [Revised: 08/18/2017] [Accepted: 08/30/2017] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Plant soil feedbacks (PSFs) are thought to be important to plant growth and species coexistence, but most support for these hypotheses is derived from short-term greenhouse experiments. Here we use a seven-year, common garden experiment to measure PSFs for seven native and six nonnative species common to the western United States. We use these long-term, field-based estimates to test correlations between PSF and plant landscape abundance, species origin, functional type, and lifespan. To assess potential PSF mechanisms, we also measured soil microbial community composition, root biomass, nitrogen cycling, bulk density, penetration resistance, and shear strength. Plant abundance on the landscape and plant lifespan were positively correlated with PSFs, though this effect was due to the relationships for native plants. PSFs were correlated with indices of soil microbial community composition. Soil nutrient and physical traits and root biomass differed among species but were not correlated with PSF. While results must be taken with caution because only 13 species were examined, these species represent most of the dominant plant species in the system. Results suggest that native plant abundance is associated with the ability of long-lived plants to create positive plant-soil microbe interactions, while short-lived nonnative plants maintain dominance by avoiding soil-borne antagonists, increasing nitrogen cycling and dedicating resources to aboveground growth and reproduction rather than to belowground growth. Broadly, results suggest that PSFs are correlated with a suite of traits that determine plant abundance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew Kulmatiski
- Department of Wildland Resources and the Ecology Center, Utah State University, Logan, Utah 84322-5230, USA
| | - Karen H Beard
- Department of Wildland Resources and the Ecology Center, Utah State University, Logan, Utah 84322-5230, USA
| | - Jeanette M Norton
- Plants, Soils and Climate Department and the Ecology Center, Utah State University, Logan, Utah 84322-4820, USA
| | - Justin E Heavilin
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Utah State University, Logan, Utah 84322, USA
| | - Leslie E Forero
- Department of Wildland Resources and the Ecology Center, Utah State University, Logan, Utah 84322-5230, USA
| | - Josephine Grenzer
- Department of Wildland Resources and the Ecology Center, Utah State University, Logan, Utah 84322-5230, USA
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9
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Sitvarin MI, Rypstra AL, Harwood JD. Linking the green and brown worlds through nonconsumptive predator effects. OIKOS 2016. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.03190] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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10
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Calling in the Dark: The Role of Volatiles for Communication in the Rhizosphere. SIGNALING AND COMMUNICATION IN PLANTS 2016. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-33498-1_8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
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11
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Thakur MP, Herrmann M, Steinauer K, Rennoch S, Cesarz S, Eisenhauer N. Cascading effects of belowground predators on plant communities are density-dependent. Ecol Evol 2015; 5:4300-14. [PMID: 26664680 PMCID: PMC4667818 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.1597] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2015] [Revised: 06/10/2015] [Accepted: 06/14/2015] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Soil food webs comprise a multitude of trophic interactions that can affect the composition and productivity of plant communities. Belowground predators feeding on microbial grazers like Collembola could decelerate nutrient mineralization by reducing microbial turnover in the soil, which in turn could negatively influence plant growth. However, empirical evidences for the ecological significance of belowground predators on nutrient cycling and plant communities are scarce. Here, we manipulated predator density (Hypoaspis aculeifer: predatory mite) with equal densities of three Collembola species as a prey in four functionally dissimilar plant communities in experimental microcosms: grass monoculture (Poa pratensis), herb monoculture (Rumex acetosa), legume monoculture (Trifolium pratense), and all three species as a mixed plant community. Density manipulation of predators allowed us to test for density‐mediated effects of belowground predators on Collembola and lower trophic groups. We hypothesized that predator density will reduce Collembola population causing a decrease in nutrient mineralization and hence detrimentally affect plant growth. First, we found a density‐dependent population change in predators, that is, an increase in low‐density treatments, but a decrease in high‐density treatments. Second, prey suppression was lower at high predator density, which caused a shift in the soil microbial community by increasing the fungal: bacterial biomass ratio, and an increase of nitrification rates, particularly in legume monocultures. Despite the increase in nutrient mineralization, legume monocultures performed worse at high predator density. Further, individual grass shoot biomass decreased in monocultures, while it increased in mixed plant communities with increasing predator density, which coincided with elevated soil N uptake by grasses. As a consequence, high predator density significantly increased plant complementarity effects indicating a decrease in interspecific plant competition. These results highlight that belowground predators can relax interspecific plant competition by increasing nutrient mineralization through their density‐dependent cascading effects on detritivore and soil microbial communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Madhav Prakash Thakur
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig Deutscher Platz 5e 04103 Leipzig Germany ; Institute of Biology University of Leipzig Johannisallee 21 04103 Leipzig Germany
| | - Martina Herrmann
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig Deutscher Platz 5e 04103 Leipzig Germany ; Institute of Ecology Friedrich Schiller Jena University Dornburger Str. 159 07743 Jena Germany
| | - Katja Steinauer
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig Deutscher Platz 5e 04103 Leipzig Germany ; Institute of Biology University of Leipzig Johannisallee 21 04103 Leipzig Germany
| | - Saskia Rennoch
- Institute of Ecology Friedrich Schiller Jena University Dornburger Str. 159 07743 Jena Germany
| | - Simone Cesarz
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig Deutscher Platz 5e 04103 Leipzig Germany ; Institute of Biology University of Leipzig Johannisallee 21 04103 Leipzig Germany
| | - Nico Eisenhauer
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig Deutscher Platz 5e 04103 Leipzig Germany ; Institute of Biology University of Leipzig Johannisallee 21 04103 Leipzig Germany
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12
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Heinze J, Werner T, Weber E, Rillig MC, Joshi J. Soil biota effects on local abundances of three grass species along a land-use gradient. Oecologia 2015; 179:249-59. [PMID: 25964063 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-015-3336-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2014] [Accepted: 04/29/2015] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Biotic plant-soil interactions and land-use intensity are known to affect plant individual fitness as well as competitiveness and therefore plant-species abundances in communities. Therefore, a link between soil biota and land-use intensity on local abundance of plant species in grasslands can be expected. In two greenhouse experiments, we investigated the effects of soil biota from grassland sites differing in land-use intensity on three grass species that vary in local abundances along this land-use gradient. We were interested in those soil-biota effects that are associated with land-use intensity, and whether these effects act directly or indirectly. Therefore, we grew the three plant species in two separate experiments as single individuals and in mixtures and compared their performance. As single plants, all three grasses showed a similar performance with and without soil biota. In contrast, in mixtures growth of the species in response to the presence or absence of soil biota differed. This resulted in different soil-biota effects that tend to correspond with patterns of species-specific abundances in the field for two of the three species tested. Our results highlight the importance of indirect interactions between plants and soil microorganisms and suggest that combined effects of soil biota and plant-plant interactions are involved in structuring plant communities. In conclusion, our experiments suggest that soil biota may have the potential to alter effects of plant-plant interactions and therefore influence plant-species abundances and diversity in grasslands.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Heinze
- Biodiversity Research/Botany, Institute for Biochemistry and Biology, University of Potsdam, Maulbeerallee 1, 14469, Potsdam, Germany,
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13
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Latz E, Eisenhauer N, Scheu S, Jousset A. Plant identity drives the expression of biocontrol factors in a rhizosphere bacterium across a plant diversity gradient. Funct Ecol 2015. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.12417] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Ellen Latz
- J.F. Blumenbach Institute of Zoology and Anthropology Georg August University Göttingen Berliner Straβe 2837073 Göttingen Germany
| | - Nico Eisenhauer
- Experimental Interaction Ecology German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle‐Jena‐Leipzig Deutscher Platz 5e04103 Leipzig Germany
- Institute for Biology University of Leipzig Johannisallee 2104103 Leipzig Germany
| | - Stefan Scheu
- J.F. Blumenbach Institute of Zoology and Anthropology Georg August University Göttingen Berliner Straβe 2837073 Göttingen Germany
| | - Alexandre Jousset
- Institute for Environmental Biology, Ecology and Biodiversity University of Utrecht Padualaan 83584 CH Utrecht The Netherlands
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14
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Nolan NE, Kulmatiski A, Beard KH, Norton JM. Activated carbon decreases invasive plant growth by mediating plant-microbe interactions. AOB PLANTS 2014; 7:plu072. [PMID: 25387751 PMCID: PMC4303759 DOI: 10.1093/aobpla/plu072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2014] [Accepted: 10/30/2014] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
There is growing appreciation for the idea that plant-soil interactions (e.g. allelopathy and plant-microbe feedbacks) may explain the success of some non-native plants. Where this is the case, native plant restoration may require management tools that change plant-soil interactions. Activated carbon (AC) is one such potential tool. Previous research has shown the potential for high concentrations of AC to restore native plant growth to areas dominated by non-natives on a small scale (1 m × 1 m plots). Here we (i) test the efficacy of different AC concentrations at a larger scale (15 m × 15 m plots), (ii) measure microbial responses to AC treatment and (iii) use a greenhouse experiment to identify the primary mechanism, allelopathy versus microbial changes, through which AC impacts native and non-native plant growth. Three years after large-scale applications, AC treatments decreased non-native plant cover and increased the ratio of native to non-native species cover, particularly at concentrations >400 g m(-2). Activated carbon similarly decreased non-native plant growth in the greenhouse. This effect, however, was only observed in live soils, suggesting that AC effects were microbially mediated and not caused by direct allelopathy. Bacterial community analysis of field soils indicated that AC increased the relative abundance of an unidentified bacterium and an Actinomycetales and decreased the relative abundance of a Flavobacterium, suggesting that these organisms may play a role in AC effects on plant growth. Results support the idea that manipulations of plant-microbe interactions may provide novel and effective ways of directing plant growth and community development (e.g. native plant restoration).
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole E Nolan
- Department of Wildland Resources and the Ecology Center, Utah Agricultural Experiment Station, Utah State University, Logan, UT 84322-5230, USA
| | - Andrew Kulmatiski
- Department of Wildland Resources and the Ecology Center, Utah Agricultural Experiment Station, Utah State University, Logan, UT 84322-5230, USA
| | - Karen H Beard
- Department of Wildland Resources and the Ecology Center, Utah Agricultural Experiment Station, Utah State University, Logan, UT 84322-5230, USA
| | - Jeanette M Norton
- Department of Plant, Soil, and Climate, Utah State University, Logan, UT 84322-4820, USA
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